After a year of tension, Somalia and Ethiopia agree to work together

But on Thursday, after a meeting, the two sides said they would continue to normalise relations and strengthen economic and social ties.

Dr Abiy Ahmed said the region would benefit more from cooperation than division.

“The Horn of Africa is rich in resources—fertile lands, fresh water, and human capital. Yet, as a region, we struggle to feed ourselves,” he said in a dispatch on Thursday.

“This makes integration essential to achieving our shared aspirations.”

His host followed suit. A dispatch from Villa Somalia, the presidency in Somalia, said the two leaders “also reiterated their commitment to promoting peace and security, and deepening bilateral relations for the benefit of their citizens and the broader Horn of Africa region.”

This meeting follows another two weeks ago on the sidelines of the African Union summit, where they pledged to resume relations. It is a follow-up to pledges made after Turkey mediated their tensions in December, following an almost complete breakdown in relations throughout last year.

The dispute arose on January 1, 2024, when Ethiopia signed a controversial deal with Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia that has often tried to secede without success. The deal, which was never made public, reportedly promised Ethiopia the lease of a naval base in Somaliland in exchange for recognition. And Mogadishu protested against what it called Ethiopia's territorial violations.

What followed was a breakdown of relations, including the recall of ambassadors. Somalia then refused to allow Ethiopia to participate in the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission (AUSSOM), even though it had traditionally been part of AU missions there.

Following Turkey's intervention, however, the two signed a commitment to resume dialogue to end their hostilities. There has been little talk of whether the MoU is still an issue.

This week, the African Union agreed to stay. And the final force will be 11,900 personnel, including soldiers, police and civilian support staff, according to Somali and AU officials.

The new deal allocates 4,500 troops to Uganda, 2,500 to Ethiopia, 1,520 to Djibouti, 1,410 to Kenya and 1,091 to Egypt, VOA reported on Wednesday.

On Thursday, both sides said that this time they had to learn to work together and deal with their complicated pasts. They fought two wars in the past, but have since worked together on common challenges such as violent extremism.

“Ethiopia and Somalia are interdependent nations with a common destiny and a shared vision for regional stability and prosperity,” they said in a joint statement, adding that they had vowed to “build trust” between them.

They said they would work on “strategic infrastructure projects.” They didn’t name them. But in the past, Ethiopia and Somalia had signed an MoU to develop four Somali ports. The MoU was never implemented. Ethiopia has expressed desire to gain access to the sea.