# Berbera Corridor in Focus as Bab-el-Mandeb Crisis Hits Ethiopia Logistics

> Ethiopia's reliance on Djibouti for 96.71% of cargo makes Berbera strategically important, an AllAfrica report says.

- By: Editorial Team, Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com/about)
- Published: 1 October 2026
- Format: News story (reported from one named public source)
- Publication: Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com)
- Subject: Infrastructure and Services
- Tags: ports, drainage
- Web version: https://somaliconstructionreview.com/blog/berbera-corridor-bab-el-mandeb-crisis

## Key points

- Ethiopia moved 17.57 million tons of cargo through maritime gateways in 2025/26, with Djibouti handling 96.71 percent, according to official figures.
- An AllAfrica: Ethiopia report argues the Bab-el-Mandeb crisis increases the strategic importance of the Berbera corridor.
- The report does not establish that Berbera is already a functioning alternative, or quantify capacity, cost, or throughput figures.

A new analysis from AllAfrica: Ethiopia says the ongoing crisis in the Bab-el-Mandeb strait has exposed Ethiopia's heavy reliance on a single maritime gateway, making the Berbera corridor more strategically important than ever. But the report also leaves key questions about the corridor's current capacity and legal framework unanswered.

Ethiopia moved approximately 17.57 million metric tons of import and export cargo through maritime gateways in the 2025/26 fiscal year, according to Ethiopia's 2025/26 fiscal-year transport figures. Djibouti handled 96.71 percent of that cargo, about 15.34 million tons. Berbera accounted for 2.74 percent, Tadjoura 1.23 percent, and the Mombasa-Moyale corridor 0.56 percent.

Fuel alone represented roughly 4.23 million tons of Ethiopian imports in the same period. Road transport carried about 80.15 percent of inland freight, while the Ethio-Djibouti railway handled approximately 18.92 percent.

## The MoU: what is known and what is not

Ethiopia's 1 January 2024 Memorandum of Understanding with Somaliland was described by Ethiopia's own statement as a framework to secure sea access and diversify access to seaports. Public reports outlined an arrangement granting Ethiopia long-term access to a 20-kilometer stretch of Somaliland's coastline, potentially for naval operations. However, the precise legal and commercial details of the MoU are not public, as the full text has never been released.

Somaliland framed Ethiopia's formal recognition as a key component of the political bargain, according to the AllAfrica: Ethiopia report. Somalia rejected the MoU as a direct affront to its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Ethiopia maintained the pact was strictly a cooperative maritime-access agreement rather than an attempt at territorial annexation.

## What the report does not establish

The AllAfrica: Ethiopia piece does not provide specific capacity, cost, or throughput figures for Berbera port's deep-water facilities, large quay, or economic zone. It does not state DP World concession terms, investment values, or ownership shares. There are no corridor performance data for Berbera: border crossing times, customs efficiency, road condition, or dry port capacity are not given. The report does not quantify Ethiopia's cost increases from Bab-el-Mandeb disruption, nor does it state that the Berbera corridor is already a functioning alternative system.

Instead, the report argues that for a country of more than 120 million people heavily dependent on imported fuel, machinery, industrial inputs, and consumer goods, maritime security is inseparable from economic security. It suggests that the Bab-el-Mandeb crisis makes diversification, including through Berbera, more urgent. But the evidence presented shows Berbera's current share is small: 2.74 percent of Ethiopia's maritime cargo.

> **Note:** The AllAfrica: Ethiopia report cites no corridor performance data for Berbera, so its functionality beyond the 2.74 percent cargo share is not established.

## Questions

### What evidence links the Bab-el-Mandeb crisis to increased Berbera corridor usage?

The AllAfrica: Ethiopia report does not provide direct evidence of increased usage; it argues strategically that the crisis makes diversification more urgent, citing Ethiopia's 96.71 percent reliance on Djibouti.

### How does Berbera's risk profile compare to Djibouti and other routes?

The report does not quantify a risk profile comparison. It only notes Djibouti's dominant 96.71 percent cargo share and Berbera's 2.74 percent, without specific risk metrics.

### What infrastructure investments are supporting Berbera's capacity?

The report mentions deep-water facilities, a large quay, and an economic zone at Berbera, but provides no specific investment figures or capacity details.

## Sources

- [One Corridor, Too Much Risk - Why Berbera Matters More Than Ever As Bab-El-Mandeb Crisis Exposes Ethiopia's Maritime Vulnerability](https://allafrica.com/stories/202610010043.html) — AllAfrica: Ethiopia, 2026-10-01