Thursday August 29, 2024
Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi accepts the credentials from Ethiopia's newly appointed Ambassador Teshome Shunde Hamito during a formal ceremony at the presidential palace in Hargeisa, marking a significant step in strengthening military and diplomatic relations between Somaliland and Ethiopia. CREDIT / Somaliland Presidential Office
Hargeisa (HOL) — Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi received the credentials of Ethiopia's newly appointed representative, Ambassador Teshome Shunde Hamito, on Thursday at the presidential palace in Hargeisa. The move marks a major step in the deepening of military and diplomatic relationship between Somaliland and Ethiopia despite escalating tensions with Somalia.
The credentialing ceremony in Hargeisa comes shortly after Ethiopia reportedly upgraded its consular office in Somaliland to complete embassy status, a move confirmed by Somaliland but not officially by Ethiopia.
During their meeting, the two officials discussed critical regional security issues in the Horn of Africa, the enhancement of bilateral relations, and future cooperation between Somaliland and Ethiopia.
The diplomatic change comes nearly nine months after Somaliland and Ethiopia signed a contentious Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that has upended regional dynamics. The deal includes military cooperation and the controversial lease of 20 kilometres of Somaliland's coastline to Ethiopia.
This development has been met with strong opposition from Somalia, which considers Somaliland part of its sovereign territory. In response, Somalia expelled Ethiopia's ambassador and ordered the closure of Ethiopian consulates in Hargeisa and Garowe, though Ethiopia has ignored these directives.
The tensions have extended into the military realm, with Somalia excluding Ethiopian forces from the upcoming African Union Support Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) unless Ethiopia withdraws from the MoU. International efforts to mediate the dispute, including talks hosted by Turkey, have so far failed to resolve the conflict.