Thursday February 27, 2025

Mogadishu (HOL) – Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed arrived in Mogadishu on Thursday for high-level talks with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, marking a pivotal moment in the nations’ diplomatic relations following months of strained ties.

President Mohamud welcomed Abiy at Aden Adde International Airport, where Somali authorities implemented heightened security measures, including temporarily closing key roads and suspending airport traffic.

The leaders are expected to discuss security cooperation and economic collaboration.

Somali Minister of Information Da’uud Aweys Jama framed the visit as a sign of strengthening relations between the two neighbors, emphasizing a shift towards cooperation and economic development.

“This visit reflects the rapprochement between Somalia and Ethiopia and signifies a commitment to a path based on mutual interests,” Aweys said.

Abiy’s visit coincides with Ethiopia’s formal integration into the African Union’s Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM). This week, Somalia and Ethiopia signed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), formally placing Ethiopian troops operating in Somalia under the oversight of the Somali federal government.

Under the SOFA framework, Ethiopian forces will continue counterterrorism operations against al-Shabaab in cooperation with Somali security forces and the African Union.

The visit also marks the formal resolution of a diplomatic rift in early 2024 when Ethiopia signed a controversial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Somaliland, a self-declared but unrecognized breakaway region of Somalia.

Somalia rejected the agreement outright, labeling it a violation of its sovereignty, and tensions escalated as President Mohamud’s administration rallied international support against Ethiopia’s move. Ethiopia later backtracked, affirming its recognition of Somalia’s territorial sovereignty, and relations between the two nations have since been on the mend.