The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Somaliland:
Reaffirming their longstanding solidarity, fraternity and friendship,
Committed to foster a close partnership that would contribute to peace and security in the Horn of Africa and the broader region,
Desiring to encourage closer economic cooperation and to promote conditions of economic stability and well-being,
Considering their common concern in the maintenance of peace and security in the Horn of Africa,
Having resolved to conclude this Memorandum of Partnership and Cooperation,
Agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
The relationship between the parties shall be based on the principles of good faith cooperation and partnership for the advancement of mutual interests.
The purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding is to identify the major fields of cooperation and provide a framework to govern their overall engagement and partnership.
ARTICLE II
The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia shall extend recognition to Somaliland immediately after the designated area stipulated under Article X of this agreement. The parties shall coordinate their political efforts and outreach to stakeholders in the lead up to this determination.
The contracting parties shall hold regular consultations through the Joint Ministerial Platform established pursuant to this Memorandum of Understanding, and through other modalities as necessary, to harmonize and coordinate their views in international forums to advance common objectives and positions. They shall also cooperate in the areas of foreign service and diplomacy.
ARTICLE III
The contracting parties shall cooperate in trade and investment by developing physical infrastructure linkages to increase the flow of trade and investment.
The parties shall jointly invest in and develop the facilities and infrastructure necessary for the utilization of the Berbera Port, including a railway and a highway. The modalities and detailed arrangements for such joint investment shall be provided in subsequent agreements to be concluded by the parties.
The Berbera railway, as necessary to be linked with other railway networks in the area, shall be prioritized by the parties in their joint infrastructure development efforts.
The parties shall enter into a bilateral trade and investment agreement to foster greater economic integration.
ARTICLE IV
The Contracting Parties shall cooperate in infrastructure, water and energy sectors.
The FDRE undertakes to use the Berbera port facilities, on competitive market terms that cannot be greater than the prevailing market rate, for not less than 10% of its annual import and export.
The FDRE shall supply electricity to Somaliland on competitive market terms that cannot be greater than the prevailing market rate.
The detailed terms and conditions for the undertakings indicated in Article IV (2) and (3) shall be negotiated and agreed upon by the parties.
ARTICLE V
The Contracting Parties shall cooperate in the agricultural sector through training and capacity building in small scale irrigation, watershed development, food security and disaster management, control of trans-boundary animal and plant diseases, surveillance and control of livestock, fish and crop diseases and pests, exchange of experience in agricultural extension and rural development, environmental management and afforestation programs, and any other fields that may be mutually agreed upon.
ARTICLE VI
The contracting parties shall cooperate in the health sector and work in collaboration in building the capacity of health professionals and medical practitioners, malaria control, epidemiological surveillance, research, exchange of health professionals for the purpose of sharing new techniques and technologies, experience sharing in the provision of primary health care, nutrition and immunization, and any other fields that may be mutually agreed upon.
ARTICLE VII
The Contracting Parties shall cooperate in the education sector through capacity building and experience sharing at all levels of education and training, including technical and vocational education; the promotion of higher education; and promotion of alternative basic education, as well as any other fields that may be mutually agreed upon.
ARTICLE VIII
The Contracting Parties shall cooperate in the cultural sector through the exchange of cultural troupes, artifacts, experts and information sharing, as well as exchange of experiences on indigenous knowledge preservation and utilization; promotion of cooperation between national museums, libraries and archives, as well as exchange of delegations, publications and expert visits; preservation and restoration of cultural heritage, and any other fields that may be mutually agreed upon.
ARTICLE IX
The Contracting Parties shall cooperate in the defense and security sectors. This cooperation shall include but is not limited to: military training, education and technical assistance; exchange of information on defense, security and intelligence matters; countering terrorism and combating organized and transnational crimes; and any other fields and technical arrangements that may be mutually agreed upon.
ARTICLE X
Somaliland shall provide a 50-year lease of a coastal area with a 20 km width along the coast and a 20 km length inland (hereinafter referred to as the “leasehold area”) near eastern Lughaya to the FDRE for the establishment of a naval base and the development of commercial maritime facilities.
The leasehold area shall include the maritime zones adjacent to the coastline on which a coastal state might exercise jurisdiction in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, as well as a land corridor from the Ethiopian border to the coastline.
The land corridor shall include a highway and a railway going from the border to the naval base and maritime facilities. A map and GPS coordinates of the leasehold area shall be annexed to this Memorandum of Understanding.
The FDRE shall exercise full control and jurisdiction over the leasehold area. The FDRE shall not sublease, transfer control, assign territory or pledge to a third party.
The leasehold area shall be transferred over to Ethiopia within 30 days from the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding.
In lieu of rent for the lease indicated under sub-article 1 of this Article, the FDRE shall grant Somaliland shares in Ethiopian Airlines. The number of shares to be granted shall be agreed upon between the parties. These shares may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged, or encumbered to a third party.
Upon expiry of the period stipulated under sub-article 1 of this Article, the parties shall negotiate in good faith the terms for the extension of the leasehold, taking into account the investment of the FDRE in the leasehold area.
ARTICLE XI
The contracting parties hereby establish a Joint Ministerial Platform to oversee implementation of this agreement.
The Joint Ministerial Platform shall meet at least twice a year; it may hold extraordinary meetings as it may deem necessary.
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Editor’s Note
The document above is presented as the full text of the Memorandum of Understanding for Partnership and Co-operation signed by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Somaliland in Jan. 1, 2024. Neither government has released an official text of the agreement. Ethiopian and Somaliland officials have offered differing and at times conflicting accounts of its contents since the signing, and independent researchers tracking the accord have noted more than a year that no authoritative version has been made public.
WDM obtained this document through sources it regards as reliable. Its provenance could not be independently corroborated through public or official channels at time of posting. It is published for reference and analysis on that basis, and readers should treat its specific terms — including the leasehold dimensions, compensation mechanism and recognition clause — as unconfirmed pending an official release by either party.