Djibouti(Mogadishu24)-Djibouti has extended an offer to provide Ethiopia with 100% port access in an effort to defuse escalating regional tensions, according to Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf.

The offer comes at a critical time, as diplomatic relations between Somalia and Ethiopia have deteriorated, threatening the stability of the Horn of Africa.

In an interview on Focus on Africa, Youssouf revealed that Djibouti’s President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh is actively working towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict between Somalia and Ethiopia. The proposed solution includes a forthcoming meeting between Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in China.

Youssouf, who is also a candidate to succeed AU Chair Moussa Faki next year, expressed dissatisfaction with the Turkey-brokered talks between Somalia and Ethiopia, implying that Djibouti’s initiative might offer a more viable solution. It remains uncertain whether Ethiopia will accept the offer.

This development underscores Djibouti’s strategic role in the region and its commitment to maintaining stability, particularly in light of the ongoing disputes that have heightened tensions across the Horn of Africa.