Farmajo concludes Eritrea trip after two days stay in Asmara

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo concluded his two-day official trip to Eritrea on Monday evening and returned to Mogadishu, a top official in Asmara said, adding that the Somali leader held bilateral talks with President Isaias Afwerki, who has been at the helm for almost three decades.

Farmajo arrived in Eritrea on Sunday after a brief stay in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, where he witnessed the signing of the historic deal between Sudan transitional government and rebels. The northern Africa nation was keen to restore normalcy months after the ouster of strongman Omar al-Bashir.

Yemane Meskel, Eritrea's Minister for Information, said Farmajo and his delegation left Asmara on Monday evening after "fruitful working visit" to Eritrea. Afwerki escorted his host to Asmara International Airport in a large convoy, signifying improved relationships between the two nations.

"President Mohammed Abdullahi Mohammed and his delegation flew back home this afternoon after a fruitful two-day working visit to Eritrea marked by extensive talks aimed at further enhancement of bilateral ties, regional cooperation, and visits to the Southern and Northern Red Sea Regions," he said in a tweet.

On Sunday, the two leaders held talks at State House in Asmara where they discussed bilateral ties between Asmara and Mogadishu. In the meeting, the minister said, the two leaders focused on bolstering relationships, where they agreed to upgrade the Asmara Agreement of 2008.

Before the agreement was reached, Somalia and Eritrea had been at loggerheads over suspicions on the fight against terrorism. Mogadishu had frequently accused Asmara of helping Al-Shabaab militants to smuggle arms to the country thus making it difficult to defeat the militants.

"Pre. Isaias Afwerki and Mohammed A. Mohammed held extensive talks at State House today focussing on bolstering the Eritrea-Somalia cooperation framework and consolidation of a strong, independent, and sovereign Somalia. They agreed to upgrade the all-rounded 2018 Asmara Agreement," the minister had said.

"The two leaders further agreed to re-double ongoing efforts for regional integration on the basis of the Tri-Partite Agreement signed subsequently between Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia. The talks between the two sides will continue tomorrow," he added.

The wave of change in the Horn of Africa has triggered a sharp focus on the economy rather than traditional conflict resolution concerns. Ethiopian Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed set precedent by agreeing to end a long crisis with Eritrea at the border, which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019.

Eritrea and Somalia are major stakeholders in the economic transformation of the regional integration and economy and have for a long time supported IGAD initiatives. Farmajo is facing a re-election debacle later in February next year after his country settled for an election calendar.

GAROWE ONLINE