Hiiraan Online

Friday March 2, 2018



Image Courtesy: DP World



Mogadishu (HOL) - The Somali government blasted the tripartite agreement between Somaliland, Ethiopia and DP world to manage Berbera Port, calling the deal illegal and declaring it "null and void"



The agreement signed on Thursday gave DP World a 51% stake in the port and Ethiopia would acquire 19%. Somaliland Port Authority will retain 30%.



DP World originally took a 65 percent share in the port in 2016 as part of a joint venture with the government of Somaliland under a 30-year concession.



In a statement dated March 2nd, Somalia's Ministry for Ports and Marine Transport challenged the legality of the deal saying the agreement is a threat to the unity and sovereignty of Somalia.



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Somalia's Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire reiterated the government's position on his Twitter account on Friday morning."As National leaders we do not take the responsibility of protecting Somalia’s unity, sovereignty and independence lightly. The FGS is committed and determined to protecting [sic] this responsibility in accordance with our constitution."The three-way-deal was signed while Somali PM Hassan Ali Khaire was on a state visit to the UAE. It is unclear if he voiced his concerns with the Emirati's.The Prime Minister's sentiment came barely a day after Ethiopia's Transport minister, Ahmed Shiden announced that the land-locked country secured 19% stake in the Berbera port in northern Somalia.