Ethiopia has announced its agreement to cooperate with Somalia in making the peacekeeping mission of the African Union (AU) more effective in Somalia. This decision comes as the AU has given a new mission to its peacekeeping forces in Somalia.

yesterday January 2, 2025, an Ethiopian delegation led by Minister of Defense Aisha Mohamed and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Mesganu Arga, visited Somalia. According to the information ee obtain from the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs shows that the delegation delivered a message from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (Dr.) to President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud and engaged in discussions with the Somali President.

The Ethiopian Ministry of foreign affairs stated that during the talks, both Ethiopia and Somalia affirmed their commitment to collaborate for the peace and stability of Somalia and the wider region. They agreed to elevate their cooperation to a higher level and discussed the upcoming visit of senior Somali officials to Addis Ababa for further discussions.

The inclusion of Ethiopia’s participation in African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), the African Union’s new mission in Somalia, remains unclear. Somali Federal Government officials have mentioned that, following the Ankara agreement, they are considering redeploying Ethiopian troops in the new mission.

Following the delegation’s visit, led by Defense Minister Aisha, Somali Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur expressed respect and gratitude for the Ethiopian Defense Forces’ sacrifices and contributions to ensure peace in Somalia. The Ethiopian Defense Minister Aisha Mohamed also reiterated Ethiopia’s commitment to supporting peace and stability in Somalia.

Furthermore, The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mesganu Arga, emphasized that peace in Somalia is crucial for the peace of Ethiopia. He noted that security challenges in the region are hampering both nations from focusing on their development agendas.

Ambassador Mesganu called for enhanced cooperation between Ethiopia and Somalia to promptly address security issues and shift their focus to development.

Meanwhile, Regarding the deployment of troops to African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), it has been reported that Somalia will select the troop contributor countries for this mission, with uncertainty surrounding whether Ethiopia will participate. Egypt, embroiled in a long-standing dispute with Ethiopia over the Renaissance Dam, had announced plans to deploy its troops to the new peacekeeping force (AUSSOM), according to the Egyptian Foreign Minister stated last week.

Despite tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia, it should be noted that Egypt, Eritrea, and Somalia have previously reached a tripartite agreement.