- In April
2016, the Republic of Somaliland, an African nation situated in the Horn
of Africa, proudly announced a $442 million international
public-private partnership that represented the largest investment into
the country since it declared independence from its neighbour, Somalia,
in 1991.
The government of Somaliland and DP World, a leading multinational
terminal operator, established a joint venture company which will manage
and invest in the Port of Berbera. Construction of the quay extension
is expected to start by the middle of this year and will take 18 to 24
months to complete.
The investment will establish Somaliland as a regional trading and
maritime hub. It will create a container terminal with a capacity to
handle up to 1.25 million TEUs a year when complete. This is a clear
vote of confidence in Somaliland’s political and social stability.
Ethiopia, the region’s largest economy and most populous land-locked
country in Africa, joined Somaliland and DP World in the joint venture
in March 2018, turning the development of Berbera Port into a
multilateral investment. Berbera is, thus, well positioned to become a
gateway port for the land-locked in east Africa. This will bring
economic prosperity, social development and political stability to the
region, especially Somaliland where the unemployment rate among people
under 30 is as high as 70 per cent.
Yet despite the obvious benefits that the trilateral investment would
bring to the Horn of Africa, the Somali Parliament last Monday
spitefully declared this project void and has sought to ban DP World
from investing in Somaliland. Although this decision has no legal merit
and will not in any way impact the deal with DP World and Ethiopia, it
demonstrates to the international community Somalia’s senseless
hostility towards Somaliland, which has been unrelenting since we took
the decision to break off our union on May 18, 1991, and regain our
sovereignty and independence as a nation state.
The international community should be asking why Somalia – a country
that has received billions of dollars in aid over the past three
decades, but which still remains a failed state – is using the little
bandwidth available in its political spectrum to undermine a project
that would deliver greater prosperity for the region.
My administration has been preparing to restart the dialogue with
Somalia to discuss issues of mutual interest and negotiate amicable
separation. These talks were due to begin later this month. But given
the uncalled for hostility from Somalia, we have now been forced to
reconsider our position.
Somalia has overstepped the line. Its unsuccessful attempt to
alienate much-needed investment in the Horn of Africa will only hurt
everyone in the region, including many innocent Somali people.
Therefore, we unequivocally condemn its posturing, and we call on the
international community to do the same in the name of peace and
prosperity in the Horn of Africa.
HE Muse Bihi Abdi, President of the Republic of Somaliland
Source:Thenational.ae
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