This study draws on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in January 2024 granting Ethiopia access to the sea in exchange for recognition of Somaliland to examine why and how these corridors divert and recirculate political and economic capital. Drawing on interviews with key stakeholders, public statements, and previous work on corridors and ports, the paper illustrates how national security considerations are the driving force behind these seemingly commercial agreements.
Ethiopia’s Red Sea Politics: Corridors, ports and security in the Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a region marked by complex infrastructural interdependencies, where the decline and emergence of trade corridors continue to reshape the economic and political relations within and between states.