In brief
- On 21 April 2015, Somaliland Sun reported that the SFG Minister of Ports and Marine Transport claimed sole authority to contract foreign firms for Berbera port development.
- Somaliland's Information Minister dismissed the claim as 'cries of a confused child' and called the SFG minister a traitor.
- The report does not establish what has happened since that date regarding Berbera port investment.
On 21 April 2015, Somaliland Sun reported a direct jurisdictional challenge over Berbera port. The Federal Government of Somalia's (SFG) Minister of Ports and Marine Transport, Nuur Farah Hirsi, stated that the authority to contract foreign firms for Berbera port development "is solely that of the Federal Government of Somalia," according to the report.
The minister warned President Silanyo's administration "to tread carefully and desist from ongoing campaigns... of soliciting foreign investors for Berbera port development." He said the federal government allowed Hargeisa to collect and use Berbera port revenue only, and that persistence could "result in legal proceedings."
The report cites a response from Somaliland's Minister of Information and National Guidance, Abdilahi Ukuse, who termed the SFG utterances "cries of a confused child." Ukuse said the SFG minister is a failed contender for political leadership through his Gurmad political group and a traitor to his fatherland. Somaliland Sun reported that Hirsi is a native of Somaliland who joined the SFG after his group failed ahead of the 2012 local elections.
In his annual state of the nation address, President Silanyo said a number of prominent international firms had shown interest in Berbera port development and that his administration had been in consultation with them. The contract, Silanyo said, would be awarded to one of four firms: Bollore (France), DP World (UAE), Prime Africa (KSA) or Kuwaiti Logistics (Kuwait). The report does not state a contract value, scope or timeline.
The Somaliland Sun report notes Somaliland "pulled out of its 1960 voluntary later turned fateful union with Somalia in 1992," but also that Somaliland is "yet unrecognized internationally as a sovereign nation." The SFG claim is described by Somaliland as "not only a transgression of Sovereignty but absurd."
No legal proceedings, contracts or further jurisdictional developments are documented in the report. The known status of the claimed interests remains a claim by President Silanyo, and no contract has been awarded to any of the four firms, according to the evidence.
Frequently asked questions
What is the SFG's claim regarding Berbera Port?
The SFG Minister of Ports and Marine Transport stated that the authority to contract foreign firms for Berbera port development belongs solely to the Federal Government of Somalia, as reported by Somaliland Sun.
How has Somaliland responded to the claim?
Somaliland's Minister of Information called the SFG utterances 'cries of a confused child' and asserted that the claim is a transgression of sovereignty.
What are the implications for foreign investors?
The report does not provide evidence of any ongoing or concluded contracts. The jurisdictional conflict between the SFG and Somaliland creates uncertainty for potential investors in Berbera port.