Ethiopia and a breakaway Somali region sign a deal giving Ethiopia access to the sea, leaders say

By OMAR FARUK
Associated Press

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Landlocked Ethiopia has taken the first steps toward gaining access to the sea, signing an agreement in the capital of Addis Ababa with the breakaway Somali region of Somaliland to access the Somaliland coastline. The memorandum of understanding was signed Monday by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi. As part of the deal, Somaliland plans to lease a 20-km stretch of land along its coastline to Ethiopia to establish a marine force base. With a population estimated at over 120 million, Ethiopia is the most populous landlocked country in the world. The agreement strengthens the security, economic and political partnership between Ethiopia and Somaliland, a statement from the Ethiopian prime minister’s office said.