Addis Ababa — The recent agreement between Ethiopia and Somaliland would enhance the principle of give and take and mutual benefits between African countries, the Ethiopian and Arab relations researcher Zahid Zidan Al-Harari said.
In an exclusive interview with the Ethiopian News Agency, he stated that the agreement signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland is popular and benefits the people economically and politically.
There are unfortunately parties far from the region that have been working to obstruct the development aspirations of Ethiopia by limiting the role of the country, the researcher added.
But this is impossible given Ethiopia's position in the region and the fact that Addis Ababa is a diplomatic capital.
According to Zahid, acquiring sea port is very important for Ethiopia due to many factors, including development aspirations.
As noted by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed access to the sea is an existential and fateful matter for the 120 million Ethiopians, the researcher said.
Lack of sea port impact the country's economy and development, he pointed out, noting that the Ethiopia and Somaliland agreement was done through diplomacy, the principle of give and take, and in a way that benefits the joint development of the parties and achieves regional integration.
Zahid stressed that the agreement is also supported by international laws in allowing landlocked countries to benefit from sea ports through bilateral agreements.
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The researcher said the Ethiopian effort to obtain ports is not restricted to a specific party, but includes areas overlooking the sea through exchange of benefits in national projects such as the Ethiopian Airlines, Ethio-Telecom, and the GERD.
Such exchanges are common among countries in the world, according to the researcher.
Zahid explained that the rejection and denunciation of the agreement is not based on legal basis, but on a policy to prevent Ethiopia from development.
The researcher revealed that there are parties which want to use Arab nationalism to undermine the agreement, but where were these parties when Somalia suffered from terrorism and other crises?
Ethiopia was one of the first countries that defended the security and stability of Somalia by fighting the Al-Shabaab group, he noted.
The international community must therefore consider the agreement useful not only to the countries but the continent, Zahid underscored.
