HARGEISA, Somaliland (HornPost)— Somaliland’s National Army chief has held talks with Ethiopian diplomatic and defence representatives in Hargeisa, in a meeting that comes amid rising tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea and renewed regional debate over access to the sea.
According to a statement published by Somaliland’s National Army Command, Brigadier General Nim’an Yusuf Gahnug met Ethiopian Ambassador to Somaliland Teshome, Ethiopia’s consul general and the defense attaché at the Ethiopian mission at the army’s general headquarters in Hargeisa.
The statement said discussions focused on bilateral defense cooperation, regional security developments and ways to strengthen coordination on security challenges.
The meeting comes at a sensitive moment for the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia and Eritrea have exchanged serious accusations over alleged military movements and the risk of renewed conflict, while Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has reiterated his country’s ambition to secure access to the sea.
These developments have increased the strategic importance of relations between Ethiopia and neighboring territories along the Gulf of Aden, including Somaliland, which controls the port of Berbera.
A Strategic Relationship
Ethiopia has long sought alternatives to its dependence on Djibouti for maritime trade. Its January 2024 memorandum of understanding with Somaliland placed access to the coast and broader political, economic and security cooperation at the center of their relationship.
The current meeting signals continued contact between Somaliland’s military leadership and Ethiopian representatives. However, the army’s statement did not announce a new defense agreement or disclose specific operational commitments.
Regional Security Implications
The meeting also highlights the wider security environment surrounding the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, where maritime trade, port access and regional rivalries increasingly overlap.
For Somaliland, cooperation with Ethiopia could support its efforts to develop security partnerships and strengthen its role in regional affairs. For Ethiopia, maintaining constructive relations with neighboring authorities remains relevant to its economic and security interests.
However, the extent to which the meeting will produce practical changes remains unclear. Neither the statement nor the information released about the talks specifies new military arrangements, intelligence-sharing mechanisms or decisions concerning maritime access.
The meeting should therefore be understood as a diplomatic and defense engagement whose wider significance will depend on any subsequent agreements or concrete measures announced by the two sides.
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Prepared by:
HornPost staff
