Hassan Sheikh’s Sea-Access Statement Raises a Bigger Question About Somalia’s Political Authority
President of one city Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s recent interview with Al Jazeera, in which he discussed Ethiopia’s desire for access to the sea, has reopened one of the most sensitive questions in the Horn of Africa: who has the authority to negotiate over Somalia’s coastline, and where does that authority actually extend?
The interim President has said that Somalia is prepared to facilitate Ethiopia’s access to a commercial port through an agreement consistent with international law.
But this immediately raises a fundamental question: which coastline is offered?
Ex-Somalia has a vast coastline stretching from the Gulf of Aden to the Indian Ocean. Much of that coastline is administered by different political authorities, including Puntland, Jubaland and Republic of Somaliland. Therefore, a declaration made in Mogadishu does not automatically settle the question of who controls or administers every port and stretch of coastline on the ground.
This is not simply a question of geography. It is a question of political authority, constitutional arrangements, territorial administration and the realities of power on the ground.
The Somaliland Question Cannot Simply Be Ignored
The most sensitive part of this debate concerns Somaliland.
Somaliland has maintained for decades that it restored its independence in 1991 and has established its own government, security institutions and administration. The Federal Government of Somalia, however, continues to regard Somaliland as part of the Somali Republic.
If Somaliland and Ethiopia decide to revive or develop their previous understanding concerning Ethiopian access to the sea, Somaliland could argue that it has the authority to negotiate a long-term lease or other form of legally agreed commercial access and Naval base to territory under its administration.
Mogadishu would reject this position, particularly through social media, because it continues to regard Somaliland as part of Somalia. However, this position remains a political aspiration rather than a reflection of reality on the ground.
This is precisely why the issue requires political realism rather than political slogans.
The central question is not whether Vila -Somalia interim President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud can make declarations concerning Somalia’s national interests. While he governs only one city Capital.
The more difficult question is whether the Federal Government possesses effective political and administrative authority throughout the territory it claims to represent.
Recognition abroad and effective administration at home are not always the same thing.
Somalia continues to face major political divisions, security challenges and disagreements between the Federal Government and regional authorities. The country has struggled for years to establish a political system in which all major Somali stakeholders feel represented.
For this reason, political statements from Mogadishu should be accompanied by a serious effort to build national consensus.
A government cannot strengthen its claim to national authority simply by repeating that claim. It must demonstrate that authority through functioning institutions, security, law and political agreement.
Somalia Needs State-Building, Not Endless Political Confrontation
The Somali people have already suffered enormously from decades of conflict and political fragmentation.
The country does not need another generation of political confrontation between Mogadishu and the regions. It needs an inclusive political settlement capable of addressing the fundamental questions that have remained unresolved for decades.
These include:
- Who controls ports and coastal resources?
- What are the constitutional powers of the Federal Government?
- What authority belongs to federal member states?
- How should disputed territories be addressed?
- Who has the right to negotiate international economic agreements?
- How can Somalia establish a political system accepted by all major Somali stakeholders?
Until these questions are seriously addressed, declarations from Mogadishu will continue to collide with political realities elsewhere.
Foreign Support Cannot Replace National Consensus
Somalia has received substantial political, military and economic assistance from regional and international partners, including Turkey, Egypt, Qatar and Djibouti.
Such assistance can support Somalia’s institutions and security, but no foreign government can build Somali political unity on behalf of the Somali people.
Ultimately, Somalia’s future must be determined through Somali political dialogue, reconciliation and institution-building.
External alliances may strengthen a government temporarily, but they cannot substitute for national legitimacy.
There are also growing political tensions across several Somali cities and regions. Claims of an imminent uprising or political collapse should not be presented as established facts without credible evidence.
What is beyond dispute, however, is that Somalia faces deep political disagreements that require urgent attention.
The answer is not more threats, more inflammatory rhetoric or more political theatre.
The answer is dialogue.
The Sea Should Become an Opportunity, Not Another Battlefield
Ethiopia is landlocked and has a legitimate economic interest in obtaining reliable access to international maritime trade.
Somalia also has legitimate interests in protecting its territorial claims, sovereignty and economic resources.
Somaliland has its own political position protecting its territorial claims, sovereignty and economic resources.
These realities cannot simply be wished away.
The question of Ethiopian sea access therefore requires a serious regional diplomatic process that addresses commercial access, port usage, long-term leases, security arrangements, economic benefits for both Somaliland and Ethiopia.
Somaliland’s coastline should not become another battlefield in the Horn of Africa.
It should become an economic asset that benefits the people of the region.
But before that can happen, Ethiopia must answer the most important question of all:
Who has the political authority to speak for the entire country and how can that authority be established through agreement rather than confrontation?
That is the real debate behind Ethiopia’s search for a port.
About the Author :
Engineer Abdi Ali Barkhad is Ethiopian, has also become known as a political analyst and writer on the Horn of Africa, particularly on Somaliland, Somalia, Ethiopia, regional geopolitics, diplomacy, and international relations. His author profile describes him as a senior consultant who has studied international diplomacy. He can be reached via email : tra50526@gmail.com
Editor’s Note: Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com
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