To the degree that Berbera becomes indispensable for Ethiopia, to that degree is Somaliland recognised - though only implicitly of course - as an independent state.
The Berbera project is important to Ethiopia's strategic imperative of access to the sea
Achieving such recognition has been Somaliland's eternal quest - so far with no apparent success.
Two years ago when Somaliland and DP World ceded 19% of the Berbera Port project to Ethiopia, Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo, without mentioning names, warned foreign countries and companies not to 'cross the line and put to question the sovereignty of Somalia.'
The Berbera highway also has a strategic purpose - to put an important political fact on the ground
The encounter seems to have borne some fruit as the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia, James Swan, told the Security Council earlier this month that 'in regard to Somalia-"Somaliland" relations, we are encouraged that dialogue is ongoing at senior levels and that both sides have indicated a willingness to maintain communication and pursue further discussions.'
Ironically in his report, Swan urged that the commitment to dialogue and cooperation exhibited by Somalia and Somaliland should be extended to relations between the Somali federal government in Mogadishu and the federal member states.
