In brief
- Wardheer News reported on 21 December 2016 that the UAE signed an agreement for an air and naval base at Berbera, Somaliland.
- The report cited unnamed sources and analysts, but provided no official confirmation or documentation.
- The report does not establish what has happened since December 2016 regarding the base or the port deal.
On 21 December 2016, Wardheer News reported that the United Arab Emirates signed an agreement to establish a second foreign military base in the Horn of Africa, at Berbera in Somaliland. The report, attributed to a source present at the negotiations, said the base would be an air and naval facility.
According to the article, a memorandum of understanding was signed in the last week of September when a senior Somaliland delegation was in the UAE, citing an unnamed government source. The report did not provide the exact date, the signatories, or any official document.
Wardheer News reported that an area of 40 square kilometres comprising Berbera airport and sea front was provided to the UAE for 25 years, renewable, in exchange for security training, support and protection to the autonomous region. These claims were attributed to the unnamed source.
The same report said Dubai Ports World signed a $442 million deal earlier in 2016 to develop Berbera port under a 30-year concession. Wardheer News wrote that the commercial port would be expanded and doubled in size, with a large free zone and other infrastructure, to provide a new gateway to Ethiopia. The report did not state the source of the $442 million figure, the contract terms, or any disbursement schedule.
Wardheer News quoted security analyst Alexander Mello of Horizon Client Access, who described simultaneous operation of the UAE's Assab base in Eritrea and a new Berbera base as "quite plausible." Mello also said the UAE had put up aircraft shelters and deployed half a squadron of Mirage 2000 fighters to Assab in September, and was expanding hangars and apron and building a docking facility 10km north of the current Assab port.
Political analyst Shehab al Makahaleh of Geostrategic Media told Wardheer News that financial chaos, the Arab Spring and Islamic militancy had forced the UAE to secure major sea ports in Africa. The article said Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Iran, China, Russia, the UK, France and the US were rapidly militarising the Horn of Africa in competition for resources.
All reported claims in the article are attributed to unnamed sources or analysts; no official confirmation is provided. The report does not distinguish between announcements, agreements, and actual construction or operations, and does not provide independent verification of the analyst opinions quoted.
Frequently asked questions
Is the UAE officially involved in Berbera port?
As of the 21 December 2016 Wardheer News report, the UAE's involvement at Berbera was reported through unnamed sources; no official UAE, Somaliland, or DP World confirmation was provided.
What is the scope of the port project?
Wardheer News reported a $442 million, 30-year DP World deal to expand and double the commercial port, with a large free zone and other infrastructure, intended as a new gateway to Ethiopia. The report did not cite primary documents.
How does this fit into UAE's broader Africa strategy?
Analysts quoted by Wardheer News said the UAE sought to secure sea ports in Africa to safeguard national security, and that the Berbera base could operate simultaneously with the Assab base in Eritrea.