I was just in Hargeisa and Berbera last weekend - interesting places
If you want status, Ethiopian credits very well to Aegean (A3), and A3 *G is relatively easy to get. If you end up flying around Ethiopia a bit, domestic flights are relatively inexpensive and they give you 500 miles per segment (no matter the distance). Another option is to find a segment-based program where you can earn status that way.
There are also a few very cool redemption options with ET using A3 miles in biz.