Shared Shores; Shared Future:

A Case for Cooperative Maritime Governance in the Horn of Africa

Good Morning everyone,

Glad to be here and sharing my views on A Case for Cooperative Maritime Governance in the Horn of Africa.

The Horn of Africa is a critical geopolitical location that many countries consider as a national security concern. But we don’t speak about it as much as we should.

So, I wanted start by picturing the Horn of Africa, a region with over four thousand kilometres of jagged coastline guarding Bab el-Mandeb, that critical chokepoint every bit as vital as the Strait of Hormuz.

About twelve percent of global trade has flowed through Bab el-Mandan since the opening of Suez Canal in 1869.

That’s an enormous potential, yet the region is also fragile with weak states carrying scars from decades of border wars, betrayals, and Cold War rivalries.

Three of our four countries hug the sea, while Ethiopia, the region’s giant with about 130 million people, has been landlocked since Eritrea’s independence. For Ethiopia, sea access isn’t a luxury now, it’s an existential matter.

Look at Eritrea: once hailed as Africa’s Singapore with over a thousand kilometres of Red Sea coast and a promising navy. They call themselves guardians of the Red Sea too. But its ports are standing empty — ghost towns where camels (a national symbol in fact) drink. That promise has quietly died, because Eritrea failed to do what Singapore did - Cooperate.

Djibouti, though tiny with about 300 kilometres of coastline, runs Africa’s busiest port and hosts military bases from eight different powers — all crammed within ten kilometres. The cash flows in, but national sovereignty is steadily eroding. With flags touching each other and war clouds gathering overhead, this isn’t just Djibouti’s problem — it threatens Ethiopia, the whole region, and the continent.

Somalia boasts one of the longest coasts in the world — over three thousand kilometres. But the country is fractured. Puntland and Somaliland act as de facto maritime players through port deals, while Al-Shabaab adds maritime threats. Somalia outcry over sovereignty and territorial integrity but Somaliland is acting in away not only shaping its future but also the whole region. External powers, Turkey training forces, UAE building ports, further complicate the picture.

Ethiopia, meanwhile, sends ninety-five percent of its trade through Djibouti paying billions of dollars every year. Its push for new sea access and better terms emanates from the complex situation in the region, worrying neighbors and deepening old mistrust from past conflicts.

Piracy is also surging in the region, Houthis are arming Somali crews, and armed robberies plague the waters off Aden.

Foreign powers — the US, China, Turkey, UAE, Russia and Egypt — are all competing for influence, often playing weak states against each other.

But here’s the hopeful truth: the sea shores in the region is more than enough for everyone. Ethiopia’s needs and Eritrea’s idle coast scream that cooperation is the only real win-win in the region. It also speaks to the fact that no unilateral maritime policies are unsustainable in the region.

Now, imagine turning the whole region into a Horn of Africa version of Singapore — not by fighting the big powers, but by hosting them on our terms.

Take for instance IGAD-led Horn Maritime Alliance as start point where Horn Countries shares information, patrols, joint technology, and common standards.

We could begin by strengthening existing bilateral port-sharing agreements and gradually build a multilateral framework under IGAD or African Union leadership. Djibouti-Ethiopia agreement with established railways could serve as a very good starting point, then moving to a joint infrastructure and corridor development.

All the superpowers hate piracy and that’s a very good leverage. We can engage them on that front. But also on infrastructure and tech developments.

The shores with huge potential belongs to us; cooperation unlocks them. And only through shared governance do we secure cash for ports, access for the landlocked, and lasting peace for the region and beyond.

Thank you!