Somali president heads to Djibouti after Ethiopia talks amid rising Horn tensions
DJIBOUTI CITY, Djibouti — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, whose four-year term ended in May this year, arrived in Djibouti on Wednesday for meetings with senior officials, following talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa as tensions deepen across the Horn of Africa.
- Advertisement -
Djiboutian officials received Hassan Sheikh at the airport, Somali officials said. His arrival came a day after a one-day working visit to Ethiopia, where he and Abiy discussed bilateral ties as well as political and security developments affecting the region.
The Somali presidency has not provided a detailed public account of the Djibouti agenda. Somali officials said the discussions are expected to address bilateral relations and regional security, with Djibouti continuing to serve as a longstanding political and security partner for Mogadishu.
Hassan Sheikh is also expected to visit Egypt during a regional diplomatic tour centered on security and cooperation. Somali officials have not publicly confirmed the full itinerary, although reports suggest the Egyptian meetings could focus on developments in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.
The diplomatic push comes as fighting has intensified in northern Ethiopia. Federal forces and Tigrayan fighters have clashed in recent days, with renewed violence reported across parts of Tigray, Afar and Amhara and growing fears that the conflict could spill further across the region.
The escalation has weakened the fragile calm established by the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement, which brought a two-year war between Ethiopian federal forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front to an end. Forces aligned with the government have reported territorial advances, while Tigrayan forces have captured strategic positions and carried out attacks in neighbouring regions.
Ethiopia has also accused Eritrea, Egypt and Sudan of backing armed groups opposed to Abiy’s government. The countries have rejected the allegations. Egypt has said its policy is guided by respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.
In Somalia, Hassan Sheikh’s regional outreach comes as Mogadishu faces political and security disputes, including tensions involving South West State and Hiiraan. The federal government has pursued a larger role in political and security arrangements in areas where it faces resistance from regional authorities and political groups.
Ethiopian troops remain deployed in parts of southern Somalia, including Gedo and South West State. Neither side publicly disclosed whether Hassan Sheikh and Abiy discussed the deployment or the future role of Ethiopian forces during their Addis Ababa meeting.
Through meetings in Ethiopia and Djibouti, followed by the planned trip to Egypt, the Somali president is engaging three countries with major influence over political and security affairs in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.
The visits unfold as governments across the region contend with overlapping challenges, from renewed conflict in Ethiopia and instability in Sudan to maritime security concerns and internal political tensions in Somalia.
AXADLETM
