Disquiet over the UAE’s plans to develop a port and a military base in Berbera, Somaliland is likely to continue all the way to the presidential elections which are due to be held in the breakaway republic in November. In September 2016, Dubai’s DP World signed a deal with the Somaliland government to develop and manage Berbera port, investing up to $442m over 40 years. A deal approved by the republic’s parliament in February is intended to establish an adjacent military base, with a prospective rent from the UAE of $1.5m/yr and training for Somaliland forces.
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