BILATERAL TALKS BRINGS SOMALIA PRESIDENT TO ETHIOPIA PRIME MINISTER

Somali president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed arrived in Ethiopia on Monday on an official visit. He was received at the Bole International Airport by his host, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Both leaders are expected to hold talks on bilateral and regional issues.

Reports has it that the visit was a part of Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed’s initiative for regional peace and security and economic integration in the Horn of Africa region.

The Somali delegation that arrived in Ethiopia include top government officials while the Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, Workneh Gebeyehu and the Minister of peace, Kamil Muferiat were both present to receive them.

President Mohammed’s last visit to Ethiopia was in February 2019 when he joined heads of government for the 32nd African Union, AU, summit.

He visited last year flying to Bahir Dar in the Amhara region to join Abiy and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki for the second edition of a tripartite summit between the three countries.

It is not known if the current talks will include conditions for a possible meeting with leader of Somaliland – the semi-autonomous region of Somalia.

Ethiopia and Somalia have a long history with Addis Ababa in the recent years accused of being behind instability in Somalia even though Ethiopian troops continue to serve under the AU mission, AMISOM.