Somalia and Ethiopia agree to restore diplomatic ties after year-long rift
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Accord comes after Somalia severed relations over sea access agreement Ethiopia signed with separatist region of Somaliland. Somalia and Ethiopia have agreed to restore diplomatic representation in their respective capitals, more than a year after Somalia severed ties over a sea access agreement landlocked Ethiopia signed with the separatist northern Somali region of Somaliland.
In a joint statement following an unexpected visit by Somalia’s president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, to Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, both countries committed to “restore and enhance bilateral relations through full diplomatic representation in their respective capitals”.
Ethiopia’s state minister for foreign affairs, Mesganu Arga Moach, called the step a “big milestone forward in our bilateral and brotherly relations”. The announcement is the latest indication that Ethiopia and Somalia have begun to turn a corner in their relations, following a controversial memorandum Ethiopia signed with Somaliland at the start of 2023 that caused a bitter rift between the East African neighbours.
The memorandum reportedly involved Ethiopia securing access to a port along Somaliland’s coast in exchange for recognition of Somaliland’s independence from Somalia. Ethiopian officials have also said the deal included permission to build a naval facility along the Gulf of Aden coast. The memorandum provoked a fierce response from Somalia, which accused its larger neighbour of attempting to “annex” its territory and threatened war against Ethiopia to stop it.
