MOGADISHU, Somalia – Somalia’s president is set to visit Ethiopia this Saturday, marking a positive change in relations between the two countries. This comes after a year of tensions due to Ethiopia’s plan to build a naval base in a breakaway region of Somalia.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is currently in Uganda for a summit about farming in Africa, and he will travel to Ethiopia from there. During his visit, he will meet with Ethiopian leaders to discuss ways to improve their relationship and work together on common goals. This visit shows that Somalia and Ethiopia want to collaborate more closely.
In January 2023, Ethiopia sent its defense minister to Mogadishu, which was significant because it was the first official visit after their relationship took a downturn. Tensions arose when Ethiopia signed an agreement with Somaliland (a breakaway region of Somalia) to lease a coastal area for a naval base and commercial port. In exchange, Ethiopia might recognize Somaliland’s independence. Somalia then accused Ethiopia of threatening its territory and even considered removing Ethiopian peacekeepers from its land.
After months of growing tension and unsuccessful mediation talks, Somalia and Ethiopia agreed on December 11 to work together to resolve their differences and to start technical talks by the end of February. The Somali president’s upcoming trip to Addis Ababa is part of this agreement reached in Turkey.
Leave a Reply