Ethiopia’s Defence Minister Aisha Mohammed Mussa arrived in Somalia on Thursday, marking the first official visit between the two countries since relations soured over a year ago. The tension stemmed from Ethiopia’s plan to establish a naval base in the breakaway Somali region of Somaliland.
Somalia’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ali Omar, confirmed Mussa’s visit but did not disclose the purpose of her discussions. Ethiopia’s government spokesperson did not provide comment on the matter.
Ethiopia currently has up to 10,000 troops stationed in Somalia to combat the al Shabaab Islamist insurgency. However, Mogadishu had threatened to expel the Ethiopian forces unless Addis Ababa retracted its agreement with Somaliland, which proposed leasing a stretch of coastline for a naval base and commercial port, possibly in exchange for recognizing Somaliland’s independence.
Though Somaliland has operated autonomously since 1991, no country has formally recognized its independence. Somalia views it as an integral part of its territory, labeling the Ethiopian-Somaliland deal as an act of aggression.
After months of heightened tensions and failed international mediation, the two nations agreed on December 11 to collaborate in resolving the dispute, with technical negotiations set to begin by the end of February.
Ethiopian troops in Somalia are part of an African Union peacekeeping mission and also serve on a bilateral basis. There are concerns that their withdrawal could undermine the fight against al Shabaab, an al Qaeda-linked group that has been waging an insurgency since 2007.
The dispute has also prompted Somalia to strengthen ties with Ethiopia’s regional rivals, Egypt and Eritrea, raising concerns about broader instability in the Horn of Africa.
