Thursday 27,Febr-2025 {HMC} Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening diplomatic and economic ties during a high-level meeting in Mogadishu on Thursday.
The leaders underscored the importance of security cooperation, welcoming recent agreements between Somali National Army (SNA) and Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) commanders. The collaboration is seen as a crucial step toward enhancing stability in the Horn of Africa, particularly amid ongoing regional security challenges.
Mohamud and Abiy also expressed their shared vision for economic integration, emphasizing the need for strategic infrastructure projects to boost cross-border trade and strengthen people-to-people ties. Ethiopia and Somalia, which share a long and often complex history, acknowledged their interdependence and the necessity of trust-building initiatives to ensure mutual prosperity.
They endorsed the technical talks initiated in Ankara, as per the Ankara Declaration, highlighting their commitment to diplomatic dialogue to resolve disputes and advance regional cooperation. The discussions in Turkey are expected to lay the groundwork for deeper collaboration on political and security matters.
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.
Source Hiiraan online
