Friday January 17, 2025
Hargeisa (HOL) – Officials from Somaliland and Ethiopia met in Hargeisa on Thursday to discuss enhancing military and security cooperation between the two sides.
Somaliland’s Minister of Defense, Mohamed Yusuf Ali, Ethiopian Ambassador to Somaliland, Teshome Shunde Hamito, General Ghabdi, and Colonel Abara attended the meeting, which focused on strategies to strengthen ties in defense and security.
“The Minister of Defense of the Republic of Somaliland and the Ethiopian Ambassador to Somaliland discussed military and security cooperation between Somaliland and Ethiopia,” the Somaliland Ministry of Defense stated.
Ethiopia has been a key partner in building Somaliland’s military capacity, including training thousands of soldiers and police annually. However, the Ethiopian government cancelled a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Somaliland last year after pressure from Somalia’s federal government.
The MoU had been a source of tension between Somalia and Ethiopia, as it included provisions for Ethiopia to access Somaliland’s coastline in exchange for potential recognition of Somaliland’s independence. Turkish government mediated Mogadishu and Addis Ababa to end a year-long dispute.
Following a recent meeting in Addis Ababa between Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the two countries agreed to restore full diplomatic ties, further complicating Ethiopia’s engagement with Somaliland.