Exploiting Ethio-Somali Relations for Wider Regional Repercussions

On September 30, 2022, the Office of the Prime Minister disclosed a joint communique issued at the end of the official state visit by Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of Somalia to  Ethiopia.

President Hassan Sheikh paid his first official visit to Ethiopia on the 28th and 29th of September 2022.  It is to be noted that the leaders of the two countries have exchanged a number of visits between 2018 and 2020.

During the official visit, the two leaders held discussions on bilateral and regional issues of mutual concerns ranging from collaboration to overcoming threats of terrorism and extremism to bilateral economic cooperation.

The leaders agreed to nurture and strengthen the longstanding bilateral ties and relationships between the two countries and peoples, based on respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of both countries. They paid tribute to the gallant Ethiopian Defense Forces who paid the ultimate sacrifice for peace, stability and nation building in Somalia.

According to the joint communique, “both Leaders applaud the recent successful offensive by the Somalia National Army (SNA) against Al Shabab in the regions of Hiraan and Galmudug. Furthermore, the leaders reiterated their resolve to effectively collaborate in the fight against their common enemy, terrorism and extremism and directed their respective security agencies to strengthen existing mechanisms of cooperation and agreed to exchange intelligence”. In addition,  the leaders call upon the UNSC to  consider the request of the Federal Governments of Somalia for the lifting of the arms embargo imposed on the country for more than 30 years to ensure that Somalia is sufficiently equipped to effectively address the security threat posed by the Al Shabab terrorist groups.

Among other things, the leaders stressed on the need to work together,” to minimize the effects of undue external interferences that could potentially undermine their joint effort for peace and stability in the region and effectively combat terrorism through regular bilateral consultations, to uphold common national interests, mutual respect for sovereignty of the two countries.”

To this effect, they have agreed to hold regular bilateral consultations and to collaborate in multilateral and regional forums to promote their common national interests on the basis of mutual respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the two countries.

The Communique also stated that the leaders of the two countries also focused on the need to face recurrent drought and other multifaceted natural disasters induced by climate change, threatening the livelihoods of the peoples of the region. They emphasized in this regard, the imperative to collaborate and the need to redouble efforts to overcome these challenges. They also called upon international partners to continue to support affected communities including in the area of building long term livelihood resilience.

According to the joint communique, issues of granting more scholarships and trainings for the civil servants of Somalia, the security forces in the context of capacity building and promotion of trade and economic cooperation were widely covered.

Holding a joint ministerial commission in rotating manner in the soonest possible time, to discuss and set directions and implementation mechanisms on issues of mutual interest was taken up as a strategy for following up on the progress of the agreed activities. It is to be noted that a joint ministerial commission of the two countries was established in 2013.

In terms of challenges and opportunities, Ethiopia and Somalia share similar issues of concerns. Both countries share a huge boundary with semi-arid climatic conditions and cross border relations which are usually abused by the terrorist Al-Shabab, human traffickers, and illegal financial and contraband transactions and trafficking in arms.

Besides, the geopolitical and geostrategic situation in the Horn of Africa and the power rivalry in the region will certainly affect not only the relations between the two countries but also the entire socio-political conditions in the sub region.

Strong and multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries in the areas of the promotion of food security, building the capacity of security forces, the police and other professionals like health officers, civil servants, professionals in the education and agriculture sectors will not only bring mutual benefits for the two countries but is also important in the promotion of peace and stability in the region. In addition, the two countries collaborate in the areas of education. Ethiopia has been granting scholarships every year to Somalia students in higher learning institutions for a first degree as well as post-graduate studies. In the academic year of 2019/2020 alone, Ethiopia granted over 315 scholarships for undergraduate and postgraduate Somalia students.

Somalia has a lot of untapped natural resources and ports that could help it accelerate the economic development of the country. Somalia can have access to Ethiopia’s hydropower resources for the development of various types of manufacturing industries. Nonetheless, Ethiopia can also provide trainings to Somalia according to the agreement and demands by the latter.

In the process of the State formation and reconstruction efforts of Somalia, Ethiopia has played and continues to play a critical role bilaterally and through IGAD. Since the establishment of Somalia Transitional Government in 2004, Ethiopia and Somalia have been working in coordination in the fight against terrorism, and towards ensuring lasting stability in Somalia. This process is expected to grow to higher dimensions in the years ahead.

The age old people to people relations between the two countries can be renewed with a greater vigor in which the peoples of the two countries will cherish and thrive on in the Horn of Africa.

Given the existence of multiple areas of mutual cooperation, Ethiopia and Somalia have ample opportunities to support each other, among others, in the areas of nation building and strengthen cooperation in peace building in the Horn of Africa.

The stability and peace in both countries is a major precondition for the economic cooperation between the two countries, with significant repercussions in their political and diplomatic objectives in the subregion.

Source: Ethiopia News Agency