Saudi Arabia is to build a military base in Djibouti and Somaliland confirms that it agreed to give the United Arab Emirates a similar base at Berbera.

 

Djibouti government agrees Saudi Arabia a deal to make a military base in Djibouti, according to Djibouti Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf who gave an interview to Asharq al-Awsat newspaper. The military base will be built soon, the Minister said. 

The Saudi action in Djibouti shows a keen interest of the Gulf countries in in the Horn of African strategic ports.

In October, Somaliland’s Minister of Civil Aviation told the VOA Somali that his government has principally accepted a deal offered by the United Arab Emirates to build a military base in Berbera. Despite the pledge, there is no agreement so far reached.

Berbera, a strategic port city, hosted both USA and USSR in different occasions during the Cold War.

Facing the busy Red Sea maritime route and opposite to the troubled Yemen, Berbera is an important place.

Saudi led coalition is fighting Iran backed Houthi militias in Yemen who control most of the country. The competition between Iran and Saudi Arabia is visible in many Middle Eastern countries such as Syria where the two regional powers are fighting proxy wars.

United Arab Emirates owned company, Dubai Ports World, recently won a concession agreement to manage and develop Berbera port.

 

Write to Jama Ahmed Jama, the Editor-in-Chief of Somaliland Daily, at info@somalilanddaily.com