(Mohamed Farah Abdi – Hargeisa, Somaliland) On 12 February 2017, the government of Somaliland accepted the formal application of the U.A.E. seeking permission from the Somaliland government to open a military base in Berbera. This application followed the 440 million dollar investment and a 30-year contract for UAE’s international ports operator, DP World, of which it takes a 65% stake in the project while the Somaliland government to own the rest. The UAE military base in Berbera has attracted the attention of Somaliland’s friendly ally – Ethiopia. This article discloses the fact that the base will be used to secure multimillion dollar investment of DP World, which will run the Berbera port for 30 years, with an automatic 10-year extension if it wishes. Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, DP World chairman, said “Investment in this natural deep-water port will attract more shipping lines to East Africa and its modernization will act as a catalyst for the growth of the country and the region’s economy”. The UAE presence in Berbera will contribute to the economic growth of both Ethiopia and Somaliland as confirmed by Sultan of DP World, including a long waited road connecting Berbera port free trade zone to Ethiopia. As [...]