Djibouti has rejected Ethiopia’s request to create a special corridor to the Port of Tadjourah and establish a naval base there, firmly asserting its control over strategic national infrastructure amid rising regional competition for access to seaports.

President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh revealed that Ethiopia had sent a delegation to propose the creation of a corridor with extraterritorial rights from its border to the port of Tadjourah, as well as permission to set up a naval base.

“The Ethiopians sent us a delegation with a proposal that we could not accept: to establish a corridor with extraterritoriality between the Ethiopian border and Tadjourah and to set up a naval base for their navy. This was not what we had agreed upon. Therefore, this matter is now closed,” Ismaïl told Jeune Afrique.

Guelleh said the request was beyond the scope of earlier discussions on regional economic cooperation and could not be entertained.

He emphasized that Djibouti’s sovereignty would not be compromised, even in the face of strong regional players seeking strategic control.

Ethiopia, which has no coastline, has been actively seeking alternative routes to the sea. In 2023, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sparked tensions when he publicly declared the country’s need for direct sea access.

That position raised concerns among neighbouring states, which saw the comments as a potential threat to regional stability.

But Guelleh noted that tensions have eased since then, attributing the change to mediation efforts led by Turkey.

“The mediation undertaken by Turkey has played a positive role in this regard. As for us, we have clearly communicated to Addis Ababa that Djibouti is not Crimea.”

Guelleh pointed out that Ethiopia already has operational access to several seaports in the region—including Djibouti, Berbera in Somaliland, Assab in Eritrea, and Mogadishu in Somalia—without needing to claim or control them.

“I believe that Abiy Ahmed has understood that this claim cannot be framed within a power struggle. Ethiopia can access the ports of Assab, Djibouti, Berbera, or Mogadishu without undermining the existence of its neighbours,” he said.

Djibouti’s refusal to grant Ethiopia’s request also reflects its broader stance against foreign interference. In 2018, the country terminated a major port agreement with Dubai-based company DP World, involving the Doraleh Container Terminal, arguing it no longer served Djibouti’s interests.

Despite international court rulings in favour of DP World—which ordered Djibouti to pay $385 million for breach of contract—the country has refused to back down. Guelleh sharply criticised the company’s approach in the region.

“We refuse the dictates of DP World and have no intention of yielding to them. Furthermore, I believe, and I am far from being alone in this view, that their overall policy is profoundly destabilising for the entire region,” he said.