Ethiopia and Somalia have witnessed improving relations amid exchanges of high-level visits. The two countries have agreed to collaborate on strategic projects that would mutually benefit the peoples of both nations. Ethiopia will participate in peacekeeping missions in Somalia, a spokesperson said. The Ethiopian Prime Minister said he appreciated \”the warm and brotherly welcome from President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud\” during a visit to Somalia. The relationship soured in January 2024 after Ethiopia signed a controversial agreement with Somaliland, a self-declared region of Somalia, which granted landlocked Ethiopia the right to lease 20 kilometres of Somalililand’s coastline, including access to the Red Sea port of Berbera, for 50 years. As both nations seek to mend ties, resolving the dispute over Ethiopia’s maritime access deal with SomAliland remains a key challenge. The deal was condemned by Somalia as a violation of its territorial integrity and sovereignty. The agreement was reached in exchange for diplomatic recognition from Ethiopia, a move Somalia condemned as a violations of its sovereignty.
