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Somalia's president to visit Ethiopia in boost to strained relations

Somalia's president will go to Ethiopia on Saturday, his workplace stated, the strongest indication yet of enhancing relations between the two neighbours after a. year of stress over Addis Ababa's plans to develop a naval base. in a breakaway Somali region.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud will fly to Ethiopia from. Uganda where he travelled earlier on Saturday to participate in a summit. on African agriculture, his workplace said in a declaration posted on. the X platform.

While in Ethiopia he will hold conversations with Ethiopian. leadership to strengthen bilateral relations and advance shared. top priorities, the statement stated.

This restored cooperation underscores a new age of. collaboration between Somalia and Ethiopia.

On Jan. 2, Ethiopia likewise sent its defence minister to. Mogadishu, the first bilateral see given that relations in between the. nations soured.

Stress emerged in January in 2015 after Ethiopia signed. a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Somalia's breakaway. area of Somaliland.

In the MoU, Somaliland was to rent Addis Ababa a stretch of. shoreline for an Ethiopian naval base and industrial port in. exchange for possible recognition of Somaliland's independence.

Ever since, Somalia has actually accused Ethiopia of undermining its. territorial stability, threatened to eject its peacekeepers, and. has also strengthened relations with Ethiopia's arch opponents Egypt. and Eritrea.

After months of escalating rhetoric and undetermined. international mediation efforts, Somalia and Ethiopia settled on. Dec. 11, after talks in Turkey, to work together to deal with the. conflict and begin technical negotiations by the end of February.

In the statement, Somalia said the president's visit to. Addis Ababa was a follow-up to the agreement reached in Ankara.

(source: Reuters)