ASMARA, Eritrea — Eritrea has accused the United Arab Emirates of pursuing what it described as “port-based colonialism” across Africa, raising particular concerns over Abu Dhabi’s expanding influence around strategic ports in the Horn of Africa, including Somalia.
Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh said the UAE’s presence at ports across the region went beyond commercial interests and involved strategic objectives that African governments should scrutinise closely.
Eritrea pointed to the prominent role of UAE-owned companies, particularly DP World, in the Horn of Africa. The company operates the port of Berbera in Somaliland and has also been involved in the development and management of the port of Bosaso in Somalia’s Puntland region.
The ports are strategically located near the Gulf of Aden and major maritime routes linking the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean, making them increasingly important in regional trade and security.
Asmara said it had previously rejected attempts linked to DP World establishing a presence in Eritrea and opposed reported plans for the UAE to establish a military facility on the Dahlak Islands.
The UAE previously operated a military base in the Eritrean port city of Assab, which played an important role in Saudi-led military operations in Yemen.
Somalia has emerged as a particular focus of the wider debate because of its long coastline and strategic position along the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, close to the Red Sea shipping corridor.
The UAE’s involvement in Somali ports has become politically sensitive, particularly because of its ties with Somaliland and Puntland. Somalia’s federal government has repeatedly objected to major port agreements and investments being concluded without the involvement of the central government.
Eritrea also criticised the UAE’s relations with Ethiopia and Israel, warning that foreign powers were expanding their influence in the Horn of Africa at a time of heightened political tensions and security challenges.
The dispute highlights growing competition over the Horn of Africa’s ports, where commercial investment, military interests and geopolitical influence increasingly overlap.
It also underscores a broader question in Somalia over which authorities have the power to negotiate major agreements involving the country’s ports and maritime resources, as competition around the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden continues to reshape the region’s strategic landscape.
