International companies are betting on Somaliland, which has 850 kilometres of coastline on the Gulf of Aden adjacent to the Red Sea. Dubai-based logistics company DP World is investing US$440-million to build a new container terminal at Berbera, Somaliland\u2019s main sea port.<\/p>\n
China\u2019s influence in the Horn of Africa has been growing. Beijing recently built its first overseas military base in Djibouti, the capital of the Republic of Djibouti that lies about 21 kilometres from the border with Somaliland. China has been making extensive investments in Djibouti and The Washington Post reports that Beijing now holds more than 70 per cent of the African country\u2019s gross domestic product in debt.<\/p>\n
The Chinese base in Djibouti is only a few kilometres from Camp Lemonnier, the only permanent U.S. military base in Africa, which is also in Djibouti.<\/p>\n
Somaliland is one of few jurisdictions in Africa to resist China\u2019s offer of loans and infrastructure in Beijing\u2019s Belt and Road Initiative to establish new trade routes. In July, 2020, Somaliland\u2019s government signed an agreement to establish relations with Taiwan, a development that ran counter to Beijing\u2019s effort to diplomatically isolate the self-governing island.<\/p>\n
Taiwan also stepped in with COVID-19 vaccines for Somaliland after the expired batch from Somalia had to be discarded, Mr. Kayd said.<\/p>\n
Mr. Kayd said Somaliland considers China\u2019s offer debt-trap diplomacy: \u201cpoisonous loans\u201d that ultimately place the borrower in thrall to Beijing.<\/p>\n
He said China represents a threat to the region. \u201cIf we were to sign an agreement and accept China as our ally, it means that the freedom of the waterways of that region could be compromised. That\u2019s why we have the Americans paying more attention.\u201d<\/p>\n
Somalia, which has had only limited central government since 1991, is trying to reconstruct itself with the help of the United Nations. Al-Shabaab aims to topple the Somali government and impose a strict version of Islamic law. It often carries out bomb attacks on government targets but also on civilians.<\/p>\n
Asked whether Canada would consider recognizing Somaliland, Global Affairs in Ottawa declined to say. \u201cCanada enjoys a bilateral relationship with Somalia, which includes Somaliland. Canada encourages the federal government of Somalia and regional government of Somaliland to reach a peaceful agreement on their future relationship,\u201d Ms. Tremblay said.<\/p>\n
Neither the Chinese embassy in Ottawa nor representatives of Somalia\u2019s government could be reached for comment Monday.<\/p>\n
With a report from Reuters<\/i><\/p>\n
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