Djibouti Rejects Ethiopia’s Request for Naval Base and Exclusive Corridor to Tadjourah Port

Djibouti has firmly rejected a proposal from Ethiopia seeking exclusive access to the Port of Tadjourah and permission to establish a naval base on Djiboutian territory. President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh confirmed that the request, which included the creation of an extraterritorial corridor from Ethiopia’s border to the port, was “unacceptable” and has been officially declined.

“The Ethiopians sent us a delegation with a proposal we could not accept: to establish a corridor with extraterritorial status between the Ethiopian border and Tadjourah, and to set up a naval base for their navy. This was not what we had agreed upon. Therefore, this matter is now closed,” Guelleh told Jeune Afrique.

The rejection comes amid intensifying competition for maritime access in the Horn of Africa, with landlocked Ethiopia aggressively pursuing sea access to reduce its dependency on Djibouti’s ports. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s earlier remarks on Ethiopia’s “natural right” to sea access had alarmed neighboring countries, raising fears of regional destabilization.

However, President Guelleh noted that tensions have since eased—thanks in part to diplomatic efforts by Turkey.

“The mediation undertaken by Turkey has played a positive role in this regard. We’ve made it clear to Addis Ababa that Djibouti is not Crimea,” Guelleh said, referencing Russia’s annexation of Crimea as a warning against external pressure or land claims.

Guelleh emphasized that Ethiopia already has access to multiple ports in the region, including Djibouti, Berbera (Somaliland), Assab (Eritrea), and Mogadishu (Somalia), without the need to control any of them.

“I believe Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has understood that this claim cannot be framed within a power struggle. Ethiopia can access these ports without undermining the sovereignty of its neighbors.”

Djibouti’s response reflects its broader policy of resisting foreign encroachment on national assets. In 2018, the government unilaterally terminated a major port concession granted to Dubai-based DP World, citing national interest. Despite international arbitration rulings in favor of DP World—including a $385 million compensation order—Djibouti has stood its ground.

“We reject the dictates of DP World and will not yield to their pressures. Their approach is destabilizing, not just for us but for the entire region,” Guelleh asserted.

As geopolitical rivalries deepen across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, Djibouti’s move underscores its commitment to defending sovereignty while promoting balanced regional partnerships.