Abiye Ahmed on Saturday received President of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh and President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud at Jigjiga Airport, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, against the backdrop of intensifying diplomatic and security realignments in the Horn of Africa and the Red_Sea region.
The brief statement by the Ministry, issued on 31 January, did not provide details on the purpose or agenda of the leaders’ arrival in Jigjiga.
The visit comes three weeks after Abiy traveled to Djibouti on 11 January for talks with President Guelleh and a tour of the Port of Doraleh, following Egypt’s signing of cooperation agreements with Djibouti on port development, logistics, and renewable energy.
At the time, Abiy said discussions focused on “geopolitical dynamics, regional peace and security, and strengthening bilateral cooperation,” emphasizing trade, logistics, and development.
The meeting in Jigjiga coincides with heightened Somali diplomatic and security activity. Somalia recently signed a defence cooperation agreement with Qatar after terminating all security arrangements with the United Arab Emirates, a key ally of Prime Minister Abiy.
Reports also indicate Saudi Arabia is finalizing a military coalition with Somalia and Egypt to limit UAE influence in the region.
Somali President Mohamud is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia to finalize the deal, which focuses on Red Sea security and deeper military coordination. Meanwhile, Egypt has reportedly expanded its military presence in Somalia, prioritizing protection of the Somali government amid concerns over Somaliland potentially facilitating an Israeli–Ethiopian axis in the Horn of Africa.
The arrivals of the Djibouti and Somali presidents in Jigjiga underscore the shifting diplomatic and security alignments in the Horn of Africa, even as regional leaders continue to pursue bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
Source: AS.
