African Union welcomes Somalia-Ethiopia deal to ‘restore, enhance’ ties after year-long-rift

The African Union (AU) mission in Somalia has welcomed a recent agreement between Somalia and Ethiopia to restore and enhance bilateral ties, marking a significant step in easing recent diplomatic tensions between the two Horn of Africa nations.

Somalia severed relations with neighboring Ethiopia in protest over a sea access agreement the latter signed with the breakaway region of Somaliland. More than a year later, the agreement to restore the bilateral ties was inked between Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud during a meeting in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa.

Mohamed El-Amine Souef, special representative of the chairperson of the AU Commission for Somalia, has welcomed this “important milestone”, saying that “AUSSOM remains committed to supporting Somalia’s stabilization efforts and regional partnerships, in alignment with the aspirations of the Somali people and the AU’s vision for a peaceful and prosperous Africa.”

According to a joint communique, Abiy and Mohamud emphasized closer collaboration between their diplomatic missions on multilateral and regional matters of mutual interest, while underscoring the need to enhance security cooperation, particularly in countering the threat posed by extremist militant groups in the region.

On 11 December 2024, both leaders agreed to the so-called “Ankara Declaration” following negotiations hosted by the Turkish president, under which they committed themselves to concluding a deal that will allow Ethiopia “to enjoy reliable, secure, and sustainable access to and from the sea, under the sovereign authority of … Somalia.”

According to Daniel Volman, director of the African Security Research Project, “Somalia’s decision to grant Ethiopia access to port facilities appears to be a response to the election of Donald Trump … and its concern that the incoming US administration would recognize the sovereignty of Somaliland.”