The visit to Somalia by Ethiopia's defence minister is the first bilateral visit since relations between the two neighbours nosedived a year ago. Photo: Ethiopian Foreign Ministry/X
Ethiopia and Somalia have agreed to work together on African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia.

This follows a visit to Somalia by Ethiopia's defence minister Engineer Aisha Mohammed on Thursday.

It was the first bilateral visit since relations between the two neighbours nosedived a year ago over an Ethiopian plan to build a naval base in Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland.

''The two countries have agreed to collaborate on the AUSSOM mission and strengthen bilateral relations,'' the Ethiopian foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday.

The United Nations Security Council last week authorised an African Union stabilisation and support mission in Somalia - known as AUSSOM - to replace a larger AU anti-terrorism operation from January 1, 2025.

Transferring responsibilities

Fourteen of the 15 Security Council members voted in favour of the resolution. The United States abstained.

The vote marks a further step in transferring national security responsibilities to Somalia's own forces, the council said in a statement.

It authorises African Union members to take all necessary measures for 12 months, including supporting Somalia's government, in degrading Al-Shabaab and the Daesh group.

The term of the current African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) ended on December 31.

Somalia-Ethiopia deal

Egypt's foreign minister said on Monday that his country will take part in the new peacekeeping force in Somalia.

Ethiopia has up to 10,000 troops in Somalia to fight terrorists from al Shabaab, but Mogadishu had threatened to expel them if Addis Ababa did not renounce an agreement it reached a year ago with Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland.

The preliminary deal called for Somaliland to lease a stretch of coastline for an Ethiopian naval base and commercial port in exchange for possible recognition of Somaliland's self-declared independence.

Somalia considers Somaliland as part of its territory and no country has officially recognised the region's claim of independence.

Türkiye brokered a deal last month to end the nearly year-long bitter dispute between the two countries.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hailed the breakthrough as "historic", and the talks were welcomed by the African Union, Washington and Brussels.

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TRT Afrika and agencies