MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Friday on the sidelines of the 38th Ordinary Summit of the African Union in Addis Ababa, as efforts to resolve diplomatic tensions between the two nations remain deadlocked.
The meeting comes after the duo agreed to end a dispute over Ethiopia’s controversial sea access deal with Somaliland, signed in January 2024, which has sparked a diplomatic rift with Somalia. Mogadishu has vehemently opposed the agreement, which grants Ethiopia access to the Red Sea via Somaliland, a breakaway region Somalia considers part of its territory.
In December last year, following Turkish-mediated talks in Ankara, both countries expressed readiness to engage in dialogue. The discussions were expected to focus on Ethiopia’s potential participation in the new African Union mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), as well as broader bilateral issues. Somalia had indicated that troop quotas for the mission were already allocated but pledged to explore ways to accommodate Ethiopia in line with the “spirit of the Ankara declaration.”
However, negotiations have stalled over Mogadishu’s insistence that Ethiopian troops, if deployed under AUSSOM, be stationed in regions far away from the Ethiopian border. Ethiopia has rejected this demand, citing security concerns.
The Somali president’s office did not specify whether Friday’s meeting addressed Ethiopia’s inclusion in AUSSOM or the future of Turkish-mediated talks. Instead, it stated that the leaders discussed “bilateral relations and enhancing cooperation on regional security and stability.”
Complicating matters further, Somalia has strengthened alliances with Eritrea and Egypt, both of which are staunch rivals of Ethiopia. These nations have vowed to prevent Ethiopia from gaining access to Somalia’s Red Sea coast, as outlined in the Somaliland deal.
The prospects for progress in the talks remain uncertain, with both sides showing little willingness to compromise. Analysts suggest Ethiopia’s approach reflects its characteristic strategy of prolonging negotiations to exhaust adversaries and secure favorable outcomes.
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