The UAE's efforts to control and manage some of the largest and most important ports in the Horn of Africa raise questions about whether it is just an economic ambition to increase state revenues or whether this ambition is a hidden political project.
Several years ago, the United Arab Emirates began a strategic political project that went far beyond economic ambition, Oil is no longer the engine and the cornerstone of the UAE, which knows well that its oil and natural gas reserves will not last forever and that other pillars of the UAE economy must be built.
Economy of "ports"
The UAE has long recognized the importance of seaports in the global economy. Dubai Ports, having become a difficult figure in its surroundings, has begun to expand beyond its borders.
looking at the map of navigation and ports in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa will notice an extension of the geostrategic emirates that distributes between Yemen and the Horn of Africa to create for itself a more important and influential outside its Gulf region which is full of conflicts and attempts to control.
Berbera port .. in a state not recognized by anyone!
In May 2017, DP World received the management of Berbera Port in the regional state of Somaliland, marking the commencement of the Port Management and Development concession contract at a ceremony attended by the President of the Somaliland state, and Mr. Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, the Chairman and the CEO of DP World Group.
Somaliland is part of Somalia and lies in the north. In 1991, it declared its secession from Somalia, declaring unilateral autonomy and trying today to extract international recognition. The port of Berbera is the most widely used sea pass connecting the Suez Canal and the Indian Ocean, close to Ethiopia, which has no sea port.
the Waddani Presidential Candidate, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro, has said his party will review all of the investment projects in Berbera, and reverse all deals that he feels were conducted ‘illegally’, if he is elected President of Somaliland on November 13th.
Mr. Irro criticized the$442 million DP World Berbera Port agreement,the UAE military base deal that was signed earlier this year, calling all the deals ‘illegal’, and pledging to return these properties back to the people of Berbera.
Mr. Irro said that they are welcoming all investment projects in Berbera, but investment deals shouldn’t be conducted under the table. The details of all deals should be known by parliament and the public, we promise to review all the deals that were signed by Kulmiye administration. The United Arab Emirates is trying to use its influence to re-elect the ruling party
Bosasso port .. one of the most active Somali ports
The eyes of the UAE headed to the port of Bosasso in northeastern Somalia which is the main seaport for Puntland and Central region of somalia and was constructed during the mid-1980s by the Siad Barre administration for annual livestock shipments to the Middle East.
a committee of elders in Puntland filed a request in the region’s Supreme Court asking that the concession be either renegotiated or annulled.
Bosaso City Elders & Intellectuals Committee, argued that the secrecy of the terms of the agreement rendered it null and void.“We urge Dp world and P&O Ports to stop the implementation of this disputed concession agreement altogether and save themselves and Puntland from protracted quarrel and legal battles,” the committee said in an Oct. 6 letter to DP World Chairman Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem
finally Experts confirm that this UAE orientation aims to keep Dubai away from competition neighbors as a regional and global center for trade, travel and transport of goods and to reduce the ports in their management for many years so as not to affect the status of Dubai asa center for trade and business