Somaliland To Contract French Firm In Running Of Major Port
December 26, 2009

Somaliland’s Foreign Affairs Minister Abdillahi Mohamed Dualeh has stated that his administration was going to hand over the Berbera port to a French company, in an effort to develop the growing republic that succeeded in restoring peace after 1991 when it claimed its independence from the rest of Somalia.

Officials of the French organization ”Bollore Africa Logistics” have been holding talks with the senior leaders in Somaliland for the last days. Among them are the President Dahir Riyale Kahin and other senior officials in the Somaliland administration.

Speaking for the reporters in Addis Ababa on Friday, the Minister said talks between this French company and Somaliland officials were progressing well.

“The organization has promised to invest in the port and manage it. We expect the talks between the organization and Somaliland officials to be successfully concluded,” Duale said.

Sources in the government told Somalilandpress that the talks have successfully ended after more days of talks.

” After days of discussions, the contract talks ended and the French firm will hand over the Berbera port” sources who asked not to be named told Somalilandpress.

The Berbera port is the second biggest in Somalia. Ballore Africa Logistics which is the company that is expected to take over the Berbera port has said it is planning to invest a total of $700 mln at the port.

This is the first time that Somaliland which seceded from Somalia in 1991 and “advocates independence for the northwestern portion of the Somali Democratic Republic, has signed agreement in managing of ports with a foreign country.


Source: Somalilandpress