Tag: Ethiopia

Abiy Ahmed’s Diplomatic Missteps: From Somaliland’s port lease to shifting allegiances with Somalia

By Dr. MeKonnen Birru (birrum@uhd.edu) In the intricate and volatile geopolitical landscape of the Horn of Africa, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia finds himself grappling with a series of diplomatic missteps that have jeopardized his credibility both domestically and internationally. These errors reflect a profound lack of strategic foresight…

Somalia urges Ethiopia to downgrade Somaliland Embassy in Addis to trade office

Somalia is now urging Ethiopia to downgrade the Somaliland Embassy in Addis Ababa to a trade office as the two countries continued with their charm offensive following the signing of the Ankara agreement. Somalia’s State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Bal’ad, announced in an interview with VOA Somali that his…

Turkey’s rising influence in the Horn of Africa

By Paulo Aguiar The Horn of Africa, long plagued by geopolitical tensions and territorial disputes, has witnessed a significant development with the recent agreement between Ethiopia and Somalia to address Ethiopia’s maritime access. Brokered by Turkey, this agreement is a cornerstone in de-escalating the nearly decade-long rivalry between the two nations and signifies Ankara’s growing…

Eritrea describes the Ankara declaration as “dubious and unreliable”

The government of Eritrea has expressed concern over the Ankara declaration reached between Ethiopia and Somalia. Eritrea, an ally of the Somali government formed after the conflict with the Ethiopian government, now harbors significant doubts about the recent agreement reached in Ankara between President Hassan Sheikh and Prime Minister Abiy…

How Viable Is The Turkish-Brokered Ethiopian-Somalian Joint Declaration?

By: Andrew Korybko Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan defied expectations by getting Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somalian President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (HSM) to agree to a joint declaration for resolving their year-long dispute. Ethiopia’s MoU with Somaliland at the start of the year, where Addis promised to recognize Hargeisa’s redeclaration of independence and grant it…

A matter of time: Somaliland determined to see through MoU

It has been nearly a year since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland President Muse Bihi announced they had signed a deal that would see Ethiopia lease a portion of Somaliland’s coast in exchange for the recognition of the latter’s sovereignty, among other incentives. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed…

Egypt Should Bet on Somaliland, Not Somalia

By Michael Rubin In late September, an Egyptian naval vessel docked in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, to offload a shipment of weaponry including anti-aircraft guns and artillery, many of them outdated and some even World War II-vintage. It was Egypt’s second major delivery. A month before, two Egyptian C-130s…

Somalia expels Ethiopian diplomat from Mogadishu

Somalia has declared an Ethiopian diplomat working in Mogadishu a persona non grata. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Somalia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the diplomat of engaging in "activities incompatible with his diplomatic role." The diplomat, Ali Mohamed Adan, who is a counselor at Ethiopia's embassy in Mogadishu,…

Egypt-Ethiopia hostilities are playing out in the Horn – the risk of new proxy wars is high

Egypt recently deepened its involvement in the war-weary Horn of Africa by arming Somalia and deploying its troops in the embattled country. To Ethiopia’s growing alarm, Egypt is also set to join the multinational force supporting the Somali army against the jihadist threat by al-Shabaab. Egypt’s potentially destabilising presence in the region is seen a direct consequence of…

Eritrea, Egypt and Somalia cement ‘axis against Ethiopia’

The leaders of Egypt, Somalia and Eritrea – countries which all have strained relations with Ethiopia – have been meeting in the Eritrean capital, Asmara. An Eritrean statement wrapping up the summit made reference to "respect for the sovereignty... and territorial integrity of the countries in the region". This could…