Scramble for the Horn and Red Sea ports
What you need to know:
The powers include the US, Saudi Arabia, China, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Qatar and Egypt.
The hosting nations have security and economic interests key to their existence in a region that has experienced wars for decades.
They hire out ports to stimulate their economies and infrastructure.
The scramble for the Horn of Africa’s coastlines and the Red Sea ports has intensified.
Foreign powers have established trade and military bases ostensibly to secure safe shipping on the Bab el Mandab waterway. They have landed forces presumably to counter piracy and terrorism.
However, their long-term aims are to monopolise strategic ports and hydrocarbons.
The powers include the US, Saudi Arabia, China, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Qatar and Egypt.
The hosting nations have security and economic interests key to their existence in a region that has experienced wars for decades.
They hire out ports to stimulate their economies and infrastructure.
Said Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed: “Superpowers are expanding their military presence in the Horn. Terrorist and extremist groups also seek to establish a foothold.”
Former Ethiopian premier Meles Zenawi viewed it as a nightmare.
“Imagine how much weaker Ethiopia’s position will be, with the UAE controlling every port we use,” he once said.
This is why landlocked Ethiopia is developing a naval force supposedly to protect its commercial shipping and ports of interest in the Horn and Red Sea.
The Chinese have built ports in Djibouti and support infrastructure development in Somalia in exchange for mineral exploitation and fishing rights.
Turkey trains Somali soldiers while Al-Bayrak and Favori — both Turkish companies — have taken over the management of Mogadishu sea and air ports for 20 and 10 years, respectively.
Turkish and Qatari companies have partnered to build Suakin port in Sudan, while Qatar has an agreement with Somalia to develop Hobyo port.
The DP World, a UAE firm, is seeking long-term management of ports in the Horn and Yemen.
Somalia and Djibouti are not comfortable with the company’s acquisition of the Bossaso, Berbera and Doraleh ports.
Both countries have protested to the UN Security Council, saying the behaviour of the UAE is a violation of international law.
Djibouti has since nationalised the Doraleh port.
The proxy separatists’ movements in Yemen and fractious autonomous regions of Somalia are case studies of imperial enterprises to control resources in the region.
Ibrahim Khamis is a retired Kenyan diplomat; [email protected]
Editor's note: This story has been updated to remove erroneous information about the running of the Doraleh port.
