MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – The United Arab Emirates is likely spearheading Ethiopian plans to recognize Somaliland in exchange for an access to the Red Sea and might be the next country to follow suit, Alex de Waal a British researcher on African politics said in an interview with the BBC.
“The key here is the United Arab Emirates and this has Abu Dhabi’s fingerprints all over. They are strongly supporting Abiy Ahmed. They are very interested in Somaliland and its ports. They have a very assertive regional diplomacy that is not respecting the norms and principles of the African Union,” de Waal told BBC’s News Hour.
“So, it is possible that the UAE might be the next mover but that wouldn’t necessarily set off a cascade. It might actually further inflame regional jealousies and rivalries because Saudi Arabia, Qatar and a number of other spects are observing the UAE’s activities in the Horn.”
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