Somali president visits Ethiopia in first trip since bilateral disputes resolved by Ankara-brokered agreement

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

Ethiopia and Somalia have agreed to restore and enhance their bilateral relations through full diplomatic representation in their respective capitals, the two nations announced in a joint statement on Saturday.

This agreement follows Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's warm reception of Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, where the leaders held high-level discussions focused on strengthening relations and addressing mutual priorities.

In April 2024, Somalia expelled the Ethiopian ambassador amid the Somaliland port deal dispute and shut down Addis Ababa’s consulates in Hargeisa as tensions mounted, until the dispute was resolved through the Türkiye-brokered Ankara Declaration.

The two leaders also stressed the importance of their diplomatic missions closely cooperating in multilateral and regional forums on issues of shared interest, according to the statement.

Reiterating their commitment to the Ankara Declaration, they agreed to expedite the technical negotiations outlined in the agreement.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s visit to Ethiopia marks his first official trip since Türkiye-mediated talks helped resolve long-standing disputes between the two countries.

“This visit builds on the recent agreement reached in Ankara. This renewed cooperation underscores a new era of collaboration between Somalia and Ethiopia,” said a statement from the Somali Presidency, Villa Somalia.

The dispute between Ethiopia and Somalia originated in January 2024, when Ethiopia signed an agreement with Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland to use the Red Sea port of Berbera. Since then, Türkiye has actively mediated to ease tensions between the two nations.

The Ankara Declaration was reached last December during talks hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with Somali and Ethiopian leaders in attendance.