MOGADISHU, Somalia – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud concluded his two-day visit to Addis Ababa on Sunday after meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
They agreed to restore and strengthen their bilateral relations and establish full diplomatic representation in both Addis Ababa and Mogadishu.
Both leaders emphasized that regional stability relies on trust-based cooperation, agreeing to strengthen relations and promote shared progress.
They reaffirmed their commitment to the Ankara Declaration and agreed to accelerate the technical negotiations as outlined by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Saturday’s visit to Ethiopia, the first in 10 months since January last year, sparked outrage as Ethiopia, a landlocked nation, continues to pursue its bid for sea access from Somalia.
Many view the trip as an act of treason, accusing President Mohamud of turning Ethiopia from an enemy into an ally. They also allege the visit help Ethiopia win its Red Sea access bid.
Last year, President Mohamud called Ethiopia an enemy, saying, ‘Somalia should claim land in Ethiopia if territory is to be taken.’ His shift in stance sparked outrage on social media.
On Saturday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty ruled out any military or naval presence by non-littoral states in the Red Sea, a blow to Ethiopia.
Minister Abdelatty made the statement alongside his Somali and Eritrean counterparts during a press conference following their meeting in Cairo.
The meeting comes as Egypt prepares to deploy troops to the African Union’s peace mission in Somalia. Ethiopia, which is also contributing troops, has a long-standing Nile dispute with Egypt.
