Somalia and Ethiopia agree to restore full diplomatic relations
Source: Hiiraan Online, Sunday January 12, 2025
Addis Ababa (HOL) – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed have agreed to restore and enhance bilateral relations, including full diplomatic representation in their respective capitals, during a high-level meeting in Addis Ababa on Saturday.
The two leaders emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation between their diplomatic missions in multilateral and regional forums to address shared interests. They highlighted that regional stability depends on robust collaboration founded on mutual trust, confidence, and respect.
The two neighbouring leaders also emphasized strengthening security collaboration as the region faces evolving threats from extremist militant groups; the leaders instructed their respective security agencies to coordinate more closely to promote peace and stability.
President Mohamud and Prime Minister Abiy also underscored the importance of increasing trade, investment, and economic cooperation. They agreed to expand infrastructure linkages to facilitate trade and foster shared prosperity between the neighboring countries.
The meeting comes amid efforts to ease tensions that erupted in January 2024 when Ethiopia signed a controversial memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Somaliland, Somalia’s breakaway region. The agreement allowed Ethiopia to lease a stretch of Somaliland’s coastline for a naval base and commercial port in exchange for possible recognition of Somaliland’s independence.
Somalia criticized the MoU, threatened to expel Ethiopian peacekeepers and strengthened ties with Ethiopia’s regional adversaries, including Egypt and Eritrea.
One year later, Somalia and Ethiopia reached a preliminary agreement during talks in Turkey on December 11, 2024. Both nations committed to resolving the dispute through technical negotiations, which are scheduled to begin by the end of February.
President Mohamud’s visit to Ethiopia followed his participation in an African agriculture summit in Uganda earlier on Saturday. His office confirmed the trip in a statement shared on the X social media platform.