The African Union has commended Ethiopia and Somalia on their resumption of full diplomatic relations.
The AU referred to it as an “important milestone”.
The year-long conflict between Ethiopia and Somalia stemming from Addis Ababa’s attempt to get sea access from Somaliland has now been put to rest.
The 54-nation bloc, based in Ethiopia’s capital, trod a fine line during the conflict, mindful not to disparage its hosts while still facing Somali pressure to intervene.
The resumption of relations came after Somali President Hasan Sheikh Mohamud visited Addis Ababa over the weekend.
Following Türkiye’s intervention last December, the two leaders promised to resolve the dispute and pursue a prospective deal providing landlocked Ethiopia access to the sea.
The development means that Ethiopian troops would remain in Somalia as part of an African Union peacekeeping mission. Somalia originally threatened to replace them with Egyptian forces.
Cairo and Addis Abeba have been at odds for years over Ethiopia’s construction of a massive dam on the Nile. The presence of Egyptian troops too near to Ethiopia has raised concerns about the long-term stability of the Horn of Africa region.
Somalia considers Somaliland its territory and prohibits official interaction with it.
