Page 19 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 26

Economy

in that region, who keep countries think the UAE and nomic growth for their country
care about the future stan- the international port com- is right. And it’s to the benefit of
dard of living of their cit- pany have had agreements in all the nations in the region. In
izens. And among them, Somaliland. So as you point- fact, implicitly it’s a benefit for
there should be discus- ed out, this is not the first time the entire continent of Africa.
sion. I’m sure there are and therefore, why now, it you What do you think would be
many private discussions get this stupid talk about war. the way forward the MoU
going on among people So that’s a clue. That tells me signed between Ethiopia and
in the African Union, and that somebody wants conflict, Somaliland?
IGAD and other plat- that somebody doesn’t want
forms for African nations. good negotiations between I think the best way to handle it
And that should be going Ethiopia and Somalia. Some is to handle it through private,
on and they should be geopolitical force, doesn’t nonpublic discussions with the
the ones to resolve this. want Ethiopia to become a leaders of the countries in the
There is absolutely no dominant growing economic region. I mean, you could have a
reason for conflict, none power in East Africa. These conference. And you could have
zero. And anybody who’s are clues to people like me, a conference that discusses eco-
talking about that is being who understand the way the nomic growth for all the coun-
foolish, and also hurting world operates. And since the tries of the Horn of Africa, and
the wrong people by even beginning of the Prime Min- the importance of development,
promoting a discussion of ister’s taking the position as and present information on how
war. This can be resolved prime minister in 2018, there the country would grow with
by leaders of nations have been one after another at- another port, with advanced In-
calmly talking among tacks on Ethiopia that are try- frastructure Transportation to
themselves. ing to prevent Ethiopia from that port. We certainly can re-
fully developing, and other duce the cost of what Ethiopia is
Prior to the signing of people who forces who are paying to Djibouti now, which is
the MoU between Ethi- also using the internal situa- a billion and a half dollars. Not
opia and Somaliland tion Ethiopia, where you have Birr, but dollars or other hard
many countries from this ethnic nationalism, which currencies. Ethiopia is using up
different corners of the is an attack on the nation state, a large a portion of his foreign
world have come all the and its attack on Ethiopian exchange to maintain operations
way to Somaliland and citizenship, and that ethnic in Djibouti. And I think there’s a
leased the port there. nationalism is also being sup- lot of people meddling in. And
Why do you think does ported by outside forces. So I would have the leaders of the
it cause so much uproar I have seen Ethiopia being a region meet on their own and
when Somaliland signed victim of many different oper- discuss from a thoughtful stand-
similar agreement with ations over the last six years point, from my standpoint, what
Ethiopia? now, it’s quite possible that are the potentials for econom-
the government could handle ic growth, and reason for the
That gives you a clue as this situation better. If I were necessity of Ethiopia having a
to the fact that somebody advising them, I would tell port.
wants conflict, because them things to do that could
as you pointed out, other help. But their pursuit of eco-

ISSUE 26 | APRIL 2024 19