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Mogadishu (Somalia Today) – Maersk said on Monday it had temporarily suspended new bookings to and from the Port of Berbera in Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland, abruptly halting fresh cargo business at one of the Horn of Africa’s key trade gateways.

In a notice to customers, the Danish shipping giant said the suspension took effect immediately and would be temporary.

“We are writing to inform that, effective immediately and due to scheduling changes, Maersk will temporarily suspend acceptance of new bookings to and from the Port of Berbera,” the company said.

‘Scheduling changes’

Maersk did not explain what had changed in its schedule, leaving customers and traders without a fuller reason for the move.

However, the abrupt halt comes amid wider volatility in regional shipping, as carriers across the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden grapple with repeated disruptions and schedule changes.

The disruption has deepened since the Iran war broke out on February 28, rattling shipping lanes across the wider Middle East and raising fresh fears over the security of key maritime chokepoints.

Iran-backed Houthi threats in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have added to those pressures, although Maersk did not directly link its Berbera decision to either factor.

Maersk did not say whether those broader pressures drove its Berbera decision.

Despite the pause in new business, the company sought to reassure clients that cargo already in transit would not be affected.

“While Maersk will temporarily suspend its call to Berbera, we will ensure that any cargo currently en route is delivered to its final destination as planned,” it said.

Maersk also acknowledged Berbera’s growing importance to regional trade, especially for cargo serving neighbouring Ethiopia.

“We understand that you may have relied on our call to Berbera for local gateway cargo as well as for connectivity to neighbouring markets such as Ethiopia,” the company said.

The suspension is likely to draw attention across the Horn of Africa, where Berbera has increasingly served as a strategic alternative corridor for landlocked Ethiopian trade and as a rising logistics hub on the Gulf of Aden.

In recent years, the port has attracted major investment to expand container capacity and strengthen road links into Ethiopia.

‘Alternative ports’

Even with the Berbera route paused, Maersk told customers that other ports in the region would remain available.

“Our continued services to Djibouti, Mogadishu, and Mombasa remain available to support your logistics needs and ensure connectivity across the region,” the company said.

The company urged customers who need access to Berbera to consider alternative inland arrangements through those operational ports.

“We encourage you to reach out to your customer representative at Maersk to discuss landside options if you need connections to Berbera,” the notice said.

For importers and exporters, the immediate effect is clear: no new Maersk bookings for Berbera until further notice. For now, the company says it will continue updating customers through its website while its teams remain available to assist with planning.

“We will continue to keep you updated on the situation via Maersk.com,” the company said. “Our teams are on hand to support with your planning, should you need any assistance.”

"According to claims surrounding the recent meeting in Djibouti attendedby President Ismai Omar of Djibouti, PM Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia , the proposal centered on a significant withdrawal and reconfiguration of borders across the Horn of Africa involving the three countries.

Under the suggested arrangement, Djibouti would transform into a fully Somali state by incorporating territories from Diridawa, Sitti, Harawo, Djibouti city and Awdal region of Somalia effectively bringing together all Issa and Gadabuursi regions under new Djibouti state.

Ethiopia, in turn would gain control of the Afar regions currently within Djibouti which is 80% of total landmass of Djibouti, thereby securing direct access to the Red Sea and Afar communities in Djibouti will reunite their Afar brothers in Ethiopia.

Additionally, the entire Somali state of Ethiopia would be transferred to Somali republic, potentially reshaping political, ethnic, and economic dynamics across the region in a profound and lasting solution."

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