Addis Abeba โ€“ Somalilandโ€™s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi (Irro) has concluded what his office described as a โ€œsuccessful official visitโ€ to Ethiopia, during which he met with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other senior Ethiopian officials. The visit, his first since assuming office in November 2024, took place between 14 and 16 October in Addis Abeba.
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โ€ŽAccording to a statement from the Somaliland Presidency, the trip aimed to โ€œfurther strengthen the longstanding bonds of friendship, cooperation, and mutual respectโ€ between Somaliland and Ethiopia. It added that the visit โ€œreaffirmed the shared commitment of both nations to advancing peace, stability, and sustainable development across the Horn of Africa.โ€
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โ€ŽNeither Ethiopiaโ€™s Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor the Office of the Prime Minister has released any official readout, statement or pictures on the visit, the meetings, or their outcomes.
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โ€ŽHowever, in a short video accompanied with a statement, President Irroโ€™s office said during his stay in Addis Abeba, he held โ€œhigh-level and fruitful meetingsโ€ with Prime Minister Abiy and other Ethiopian officials. Discussions reportedly focused on โ€œconsolidating bilateral relations, enhancing security cooperation, promoting economic and trade partnerships, facilitating cross-border connectivity, and expanding collaboration in key areas of shared strategic interest.โ€
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โ€ŽIn a separate statement, Niman Yusuf, Chief of Staff of the Somaliland National Army, said he was โ€œhonored to be welcomed by the Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian National Defense Force, Marshal Birhanu Jula.โ€ He added that the two โ€œdiscussed bilateral defense cooperation and strengthening the historic ties between our two defense forces.โ€
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โ€ŽEarlier reports from Somaliland local media said that President Irroโ€™s visit followed an โ€œofficial invitationโ€ from Addis Abeba. Images showed him being received at Bole International Airport by Ethiopiaโ€™s Foreign Minister, Gedion Timotheos.