Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud travelled to Eritrea on Thursday following increased tensions in the volatile Horn of Africa region, particularly strained relations between Mogadishu and Addis Ababa.
His Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, whose government is supporting Somalia in its dispute with Ethiopia, was also scheduled to travel to Asmara later on Thursday, according to a statement from Sisi’s office.
Mohamud arrived in Asmara late Wednesday for a three-day visit at the invitation of Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki. According to Eritrea’s information ministry’s post on X, he led a delegation that included Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi.
The statement said the two leaders would discuss enhancing bilateral ties and “regional and international issues of mutual interest.”
The Horn of Africa has experienced heightened tensions after Ethiopia signed a controversial deal with Somaliland, granting it access to the sea, which has caused outrage in Somalia due to its refusal to acknowledge Somaliland’s independence declaration in 1991.
Somalia has responded by strengthening ties with Egypt, culminating in a significant military agreement in August. Egypt has historically clashed with Addis Ababa, particularly regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile, which Egypt believes threatens its water supply.
President Sisi’s visit to Asmara aims to improve relations with Eritrea and address efforts to promote stability and security in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea in a way that fosters development and serves the interests of the region’s people.
Relations between Addis Ababa and Asmara have deteriorated despite Eritrean troops supporting Ethiopian government forces in the 2020-2022 war against Tigrayan rebels. Ethiopian Airlines recently announced the suspension of flights to Asmara due to challenging operating conditions.
Eritrea, often likened to the “North Korea” of Africa, has been under the iron-fist rule of Isaias since gaining independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a thirty-year war.