(07 Sep 2024) BEIJING (Halqabsi News) – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has declined a proposal to meet Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit in Beijing, diplomatic sources reveal.
Efforts to mediate the meeting were led by Djiboutian and Mauritanian Presidents, alongside former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, the African Union’s special envoy. However, their attempts were unsuccessful, marking the second time President Mohamud has refused a meeting with the Ethiopian leader. An earlier attempt, facilitated by Kenyan President William Ruto in Nairobi, also ended without progress.
Tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia have been escalating since Ethiopia agreed to lease 20 kilometres of coastline from Somaliland, a breakaway region seeking independence. Mogadishu deems this agreement illegal and has responded by expelling the Ethiopian ambassador and threatening to withdraw Ethiopian forces from joint anti-terrorist operations.
Last month, Turkish-mediated talks in Ankara also failed to yield any breakthrough, with both foreign ministers avoiding direct negotiations.
Halqabsi News
