Somalia President Makes Surprise Visit to Addis Ababa at Invitation of Ethiopia PM Abiy Ahmed

Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud made an unexpected visit to Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, today at the invitation of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

The surprise trip comes amid heightened tensions between the two neighboring nations over unresolved issues of regional security, economic cooperation, and border disputes.

President Hassan was received by Ethiopia’s Premier, before they met secretly for talks a while ago.

Ethiopia’s PM Abiy Ahmed (R) and His Somali counterpart President Sheikh Mohamud Hassan

In a short message on X, Prime Minister Abiy posted;

“I warmly welcome President @HassanSMohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, on his working visit to Ethiopia,” moments after the arrival of Somalia’s leader.

Their high-level meeting is expected to address pressing concerns, including Ethiopia’s place in the new AU Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) that took effect at the start of this year.

President Mohamud’s visit follows his participation in the Continental African Agriculture Development Bank (CAADP) Summit in Uganda, where he engaged with other African leaders on food security and economic development. His detour to Addis Ababa highlights the urgency of addressing Somalia and Ethiopia’s recently strained relations.

While the two countries have a history of collaboration in counter-terrorism efforts, recent disagreements have threatened to unravel years of progress.

Today’s discussions are also likely to build on the framework of the recent Ankara agreement, which aimed to renew cooperation between the two nations.