diplomatic

The deal allowing Ethiopia access to North Western State of Somalia's Red Sea coast has ignited a diplomatic skirmish. Somalia views this as a breach of its sovereignty since North Western State of Somalia, despite declaring independence in 1991, remains part of Somalia in Mogadishu's eyes. Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi suggested that Somalia might support Ethiopian rebel factions if Ethiopia continues with the agreement. "The option to engage with armed rebels in Ethiopia...is available to us," Fiqi stated on…

Somalia's Tough Choices: Rebel Support or Diplomatic Embrace? NAIROBI, Kenya - Somalia and Ethiopia have been navigating a venomous spat that, if left unchecked, could unleash chaos in the Horn of Africa, potentially allowing terrorist factions to slip through the cracks. Somalia claims Ethiopia has overstepped its territorial bounds by striking a deal with Somaliland, a self-proclaimed autonomous region of Somalia. According to the agreement, Ethiopia secures 20 kilometers of Red Sea access to erect a military base and…

MOGADISHU, SOMALIA/WASHINGTON — In an exclusive conversation, U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Richard Riley discussed the ongoing efforts to navigate the diplomatic tensions and security hurdles confronting Somalia, alongside U.S. attempts to mediate the simmering dispute with Ethiopia. Trouble flared up earlier this year between Somalia and Ethiopia when the latter inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Somaliland, a self-declared independent region, which Somalia sees as an affront to its sovereignty. This…

China and Somalia Forge Strategic Diplomatic Alliance In a momentous turn of events, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in the historic Great Hall of the People, Beijing, on September 6, 2024. During their meeting, the two leaders unveiled a significant upgrade to their bilateral relations, declaring a strategic partnership. This announcement coincided with Mohamud's attendance at the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Xi was quick to highlight Somalia's…

Fréderic Bontems, special envoy for the Sahel at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stayed in Cotonou for 24 hours. This is his first assignment to Benin since taking office. With the many terrorist attacks registered in northern Benin, the country is of…

Algeria severed diplomatic relations with Morocco over alleged "hostile actions", accusations the kingdom dismissed as "absurd". But after months of simmering tensions, what sparked the latest escalation between…

Algeria is cutting diplomatic relations with Morocco, Foreign Minister Ramdane Lamamra said at a press conference on Tuesday, accusing his neighbor of "hostile actions". Morocco and Algeria have enjoyed strained…

The Algerian Foreign Minister declared at a press conference on Tuesday, August 24, 2021, that Morocco was ready to "hostile acts" against its country. Algiers announces that diplomatic relations with Rabat will be suspended immediately. "Algeria has decided to sever diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Morocco from this…

Ethiopia closes diplomatic missions in Tigray conflict NAIROBI, Kenya - The Ethiopian federal government has started implementing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's order to close several embassies and consulates, Addis Ababa Standard has established, in a move that could reduce its overseas presence. Already, the government has started recalling diplomats home from missions who are expected to remain…

Burundi celebrated this Thursday, July 1, the 59th anniversary of its independence. Among the prominent guests are Central African President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, but especially Rwanda's Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente. This is the first visit by a Rwandan head of state or government to Burundi since the deterioration of relations between the two neighbors in the mid-2010s.…