Ethiopian Navy to build base in Djibouti

Djibouti – Ethiopia is building its first navy base in Djibouti, after long speculation on the possibilities of having a navy army to a landlocked nation in the Horn of Africa.

The Ethiopian government announced last year that it would re-build a strong navy that would have a presence in the Red Sea, despite the country being landlocked.

The Ethiopian Navy was disbanded after the country lost access to its base in Massawa in 1996, due to Eretria seceding from Ethiopia in 1991.

Abiy Ahmed since he came to power has been courting Djibouti’s Guelleh in getting a base in that country according to local media.

Ethiopia’s main Navy base will be in their country at Bahir Dar and will get its funding from the French government.

As it turns out, it seems that matter has not reached the final stage.

Djibouti Ambassador to Ethiopia, Mohammed Idris Farah, told BBC Amharic service that no formal agreement is reached between the two countries.

However, he confirmed that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his Djiboutian counterpart, president Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, did have a bilateral discussion and the naval base issue was one of the topics discussed.

The agreement to establish a naval base in Djibouti is not something that Ethiopia and Djibouti can conclude bilaterally.

The Ambassador said that France will be part of the agreement as it has pledged support to Ethiopia in its effort to establish its naval force.

It was during his visit to Ethiopia in March 2019 that French President, Emmanuel Macron, pledged France’s support to Ethiopia in its effort to re-establish the force.

Ethiopia is reviving is a naval force as part of its reform measure to the Defense Department.