The Foreign Affairs Ministers of Eritrea and Ethiopia arrived in Mogadishu on Wednesday, October 17, to appeal to all stakeholders in Somalia to work towards the peace and stability in the country.
Somalia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmed Isse Awad received his counterparts, Osman Saleh, Eritrea; and Workneh Gebeyehu, Ethiopia, on their arrival at the airport.
This meeting is the latest sign of the strengthening of relations across the Horn of Africa and is a boost for regional cooperation, diplomacy and security.
The current visit forms a marked departure from past politics in the region where different actors have been supporting different factions within Somalia, creating further chaos and making Somalia ungovernable.
If the current trends continue, this will likely have a significant effect on Somalia’s slow return to a more unified and stable nation.
During the visit, the two foreign ministers held talks with Mohammed Abdulahi Mohammed Farmajo, President of Somalia, and with Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre.
In a joint press statement issued after the discussion, the foreign ministers of Ethiopia and Eritrea reaffirmed their firm support for the government and people of Somalia.
They also called upon the international community to support the government of Somalia to pursue much-needed reforms and its progress towards recovery.
The last time the three ministers met in the region was in Asmara after their leaders signed a tripartite cooperation agreement. The trio was dispatched to Djibouti to mediate in soured relations between Eritrea and Djibouti.
