Somali president visits Djibouti after Ethiopia talks as Horn tensions rise

DJIBOUTI CITY, Djibouti — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud whose 4-year term ended in May this year travelled to Djibouti on Wednesday for talks with senior officials, a day after meeting Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa as tensions mount across the Horn of Africa.

Hassan Sheikh was received by Djiboutian officials at the airport, according to Somali officials. His visit follows a one-day working trip to Ethiopia on Tuesday, where he held talks with Abiy on bilateral relations and political and security developments in the region.

The Somali presidency has not publicly released detailed information on the agenda for the Djibouti visit. Somali officials have said the trip is expected to cover bilateral relations and regional security, with Djibouti remaining a longstanding security and political partner of Mogadishu.

Hassan Sheikh is also expected to travel to Egypt as part of a regional diplomatic tour focused on security and cooperation. Somali officials have not publicly confirmed all details of the itinerary, but reports indicate that the Egyptian leg could include discussions on developments in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.

The diplomatic activity comes as fighting has intensified in northern Ethiopia, where federal forces and Tigrayan fighters have clashed in recent days. The renewed violence has spread across parts of Tigray, Afar and Amhara, raising concerns over a wider regional spillover.

The latest fighting has effectively undermined the fragile calm that followed the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement, which ended a two-year war between Ethiopian federal forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front. Government-aligned forces have reported recent territorial gains, while Tigrayan forces have also seized strategic positions and launched attacks in neighbouring regions.

Ethiopia has also accused neighbouring countries, including Eritrea, Egypt and Sudan, of supporting armed groups opposed to Prime Minister Abiy's government. The countries have rejected such accusations, while Egypt has said its policy is based on respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.

For Somalia, Hassan Sheikh's regional diplomacy comes amid political and security disputes inside the country, including tensions in South West State and Hiiraan. Mogadishu has sought greater federal influence over political and security arrangements in areas where it faces opposition from regional actors and political groups.

Ethiopia also maintains troops in parts of southern Somalia, including areas of Gedo and South West State. Details of any discussions between Hassan Sheikh and Abiy on the deployment or future role of Ethiopian forces were not publicly disclosed after their Addis Ababa meeting.

The Somali president's meetings with leaders in Ethiopia and Djibouti, followed by a planned visit to Egypt, bring him into consultations with three countries that play significant roles in the political and security dynamics of the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.

The visits come as regional governments confront overlapping security challenges, including renewed fighting in Ethiopia, instability in Sudan, maritime security concerns and political tensions within Somalia.

GAROWE ONLINE