Djibouti(Mogadishu24)-Djibouti’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has dismissed reports claiming that the country is offering the Port of Tadjoura to Ethiopia to ease tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia.

In a statement, Youssouf described the rumors as baseless, affirming, “The Port of Tadjoura, like all other ports in Djibouti, is part of our national heritage and will not be sold or ceded to anyone.”

He emphasized that Djibouti’s strategy is focused on making its ports operational and productive to generate jobs, particularly in northern regions, while maintaining the country’s competitive advantage in regional logistics. Youssouf added, “We are working on partnerships to make the ports profitable, but there is no plan to sell or cede them.”

Earlier, Youssouf had indicated that Djibouti’s President, Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, was working on a peaceful resolution to the conflict between Somalia and Ethiopia, offering full port access to Ethiopia.

However, the Foreign Minister’s recent statement clarifies that no such deal has been made. Additionally, reports suggesting that President Guelleh attempted to organize a meeting between Somalia’s President and Ethiopia’s Prime Minister at the China-Africa Cooperation forum in Beijing were also reported to have failed.