ADDIS ABABA (SLpost) — Ethiopia’s Institute of Foreign Affairs (IFA) has published an analytical article arguing that Somaliland is becoming an increasingly significant strategic actor in the evolving security landscape of the Red Sea.
The article, titled “Operational Recognition: Somaliland and the Emerging Security Architecture of the Red Sea,” was written by Ethiopian researcher Eman Ferid and published on the IFA’s official website.
In the paper, Ferid argues that the debate surrounding Somaliland is gradually shifting beyond formal diplomatic recognition toward what she describes as “operational recognition”—a process in which practical cooperation in areas such as maritime security, infrastructure, logistics, trade, and regional connectivity expands even in the absence of formal state recognition.
The analysis identifies Berbera Port as a strategically important gateway for maritime access and regional trade. It suggests that Somaliland’s geographic location, relative political stability, and governance capacity have increased its value to regional and international actors seeking to strengthen security and commercial access along the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The article also examines the potential implications for Ethiopia’s maritime diversification strategy and discusses how Somaliland’s growing strategic role could influence the regional calculations of Somalia, Turkey, Egypt, Gulf States, the African Union, and IGAD.
Ferid concludes that while formal international recognition of Somaliland remains uncertain, expanding cooperation in security, trade, and infrastructure could increasingly shape its international role within the Horn of Africa.
The publication comes amid heightened international attention on the Red Sea, where maritime security, strategic infrastructure, and geopolitical competition continue to reshape regional diplomacy.
Source: Somalilandpost.news
