The coastal city of Hobyo in Somalia is preparing to begin construction of a new port next December, with expectations that the port will be ready for use within 3 years.
Muhammad Ali Warsami, a representative of the Turkish company “Metag Holding”, based in Ankara, said on Monday that his company will cooperate with “Hobyo Investment” to build the port, which is about 435 miles northeast of the capital, Mogadishu. The two companies have allocated $70 million to implement the first phase of the project.
The port of Hobyo is located within the semi-autonomous region of Galmudug in the Horn of Africa. The port is the closest to Ethiopia, a landlocked country, which enhances the possibility of developing new trade relations with neighboring countries, according to Warsame.
Following the signing of a memorandum of understanding by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in January with the breakaway Somaliland region to secure access to a port. Diplomatic relations between Somalia and Ethiopia deteriorated this year, and the move angered the Somali federal government in Mogadishu, which led to a deterioration in relations between the two countries.
Somaliland’s origins go back to the British colonial era, when it was a British protectorate before uniting with Italian Somalia in 1960 after gaining independence. However, Somaliland seceded in 1991 after a civil war broke out. Since then, it has been seeking international recognition that would allow it to benefit from foreign funding and international aid.
Last updated: October 8, 2024 – 19:41
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