Addis Ababa , Ethiopia (The Reporter) – Mr. Abdirizak Mohamed Sufi, Chargéds affaires with the Somaliland ’s Consular Office in Addis Ababa , told The Reporter

MIDROC Ethiopia is to start using Berbera Port to import all the goods imported by its sister companies. Mr. Abdirizak Mohamed Sufi, Chargéds affaires with the Somaliland ’s Consular Office in Addis Ababa , told The Reporter that officials of MIDROC Ethiopia were negotiating with the Berbera Port officials and the Somaliland ’s authorities for the past several months. Mr. Abdirizak said recently officials of MIDROC Ethiopia visited Hargeysa and Berbera Port. “They had commitments to use Berbera Port ,” he added.

Abdirizak said that officials of MIDROC Ethiopia and the Somaliland ’s authorities will soon sign an agreement that enables the investment group to import goods via Berbera. He, however, denied the report to the effect that MIDROC was to lease the port. “They will lease warehouses to store imported goods. But not the port,” he added. Berbera Port has a capacity to accommodate six ships at a time. The port has also a capacity to unload 120,000 tons of cargo every month.

The Ethiopian government, last February, ordered all the state enterprises to import their goods through Berbera Port. Two weeks ago the first Ethiopian shipment arrived at the port. The first cargo was imported by the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo). Recently, officials of EEPCo, the Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation, the Ethiopian Shipping Lines and the Maritime and Transit Service Enterprise visited Somaliland .

By Kaleyesus Bekele

Ethiopia Reporters

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