Antalya, Turkey – April 12, 2025 — The Federal Government of Somalia has announced that its strained relationship with neighboring Ethiopia is stabilizing, following one of the worst diplomatic disputes in recent years between the two Horn of Africa nations.
Speaking on Friday at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey, Somalia’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ali Mohamed Omar (Ali Balcad), confirmed that relations with Ethiopia were once again on a path toward cooperation and mutual benefit.
“We have a strong relationship with Ethiopia,” Balcad stated during his remarks. “A stable Somalia benefits Ethiopia, and a stable Ethiopia benefits Somalia.”
The Minister’s comments mark a significant shift in tone and approach after months of heightened tensions, triggered by a controversial maritime agreement signed on January 1, 2024 between Ethiopia and the self-declared independent region of Somaliland.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) allowed Ethiopia to lease a 19-kilometre stretch of coastline near Berbera for 50 years, granting it long-sought access to the Red Sea.
More controversially, the deal included language suggesting Ethiopia could potentially recognize Somaliland as an independent state — a move that enraged Mogadishu, which considers Somaliland an integral part of its territory.
No United Nations member state, including Ethiopia, has officially recognized Somaliland’s independence.
Yet the symbolic weight of the MoU sparked an uproar in Somalia, leading to the suspension of military and diplomatic cooperation with Addis Ababa. The Somali government labelled the agreement a “flagrant violation of its sovereignty”, prompting international concern from allies including the United States and Turkey.
After months of backchannel diplomacy and public condemnations, efforts led by Turkey culminated in the Ankara Agreement on December 12, 2024, which laid the foundation for re-engagement. Both countries committed to respecting each other’s sovereignty and agreed to pursue future dialogue over Ethiopia’s maritime ambitions through legal and diplomatic channels.
Friday’s remarks by Minister Balcad now signal that the détente is holding, and that both parties are looking ahead. He emphasized that Ethiopia and Somalia are “working to restore past cooperation”, hinting at renewed strategic alignment after the turbulence.
The diplomatic fallout between Somalia and Ethiopia raised alarms among Western powers, particularly the United States, who warned that instability between the two could undermine joint counterterrorism operations against extremist groups like Al-Shabaab. Ethiopia has long played a key role in the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia, and its troops have been instrumental in battling militants in southern regions.
In a sign of cautious normalization, Somalia has approved the deployment of 2,500 Ethiopian troops as part of AUSSOM, the new African Union stabilization force replacing ATMIS, set to be fully operational later this year.
