Ethiopia appoints envoy to Somaliland amid rising tensions with Egypt

Department of Research, Security and Military Studies 01-092024

Ethiopia reacts to rising tensions with Egypt and appoints an ambassador to unrecognized Somaliland.

Ethiopia appointed Saturday an ambassador to the unrecognized self-declared Republic of Somaliland, further escalating tensions with Egypt after the latter deployed military equipment and troops to Somalia, which drew sharp criticism from Ethiopia.

Musa Bihi Abdi, the President of Somaliland, officially received the credentials of the newly appointed Ethiopian ambassador, Teshome Shunde Hamito, marking a deepening of ties between Ethiopia and the unrecognized Republic of Somaliland. This appointment is likely to heighten tensions among the three nations—Egypt, Somalia, and Ethiopia. 

In the wake of the ambassador’s appointment, President Abdi held an immediate meeting with the Ethiopian envoy to discuss security issues in the Horn of Africa and to explore avenues for future cooperation between the two sides. 

Following the meeting, the unrecognized self-declared Somaliland government issued a strongly-worded statement condemning Egypt’s military presence in Somalia.

The statement expressed Somaliland’s “strong objection to the recent deployment of Egyptian military forces in Somalia,” adding that the lack of consideration for the stability and security of Somalia and the broader Horn of Africa region is “deeply concerning.”

Egypt on Tuesday sent Somalia its  first batch of military aid in four decades, Reuters reported, citing three diplomatic and Somali government sources, in a move that is expected to exacerbate tensions between the two nations and Ethiopia.

Egypt and Somalia have strengthened their ties this year following Ethiopia’s signing of a preliminary agreement with the brekway region of Somaliand, which involves leasing coastal land in exchange for potential recognition of Somaliland’s independence from Somalia.