Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Addis Ababa (Agenzia Fides) - Hope for the future of the Horn of Africa could come from the consolidation of cooperation between the seven East African States, if they manage to create a network to promote peace together. In particular, "Somalia and Ethiopia must continue to embark on a common path to address the major challenges of terrorism and food insecurity caused by the drought,"
Prof. Sonkor Geyre, President of the Institute for Federalism and Security Analysis (IFSA) of Somalia, told Fides.
Sonkor points to the first progress in cooperation between the two countries following the historic meeting between Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali on September 28 in Addis Ababa. At the meeting, the two heads of state expressed their determination to strengthen ties between Somalia and Ethiopia, prioritize the development and stability of the Horn of Africa region, and continue the fruitful cooperation between the two neighboring peoples in various fields.
In this regard, Prof. Sonkor stressed that the visit of the new Somali President Hassan was of historic importance, given the difficult situation in which the entire Horn of Africa region finds itself, and he recalled that the previous Somali government under President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo and the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed have already established very good relations between the two countries through bilateral agreements. Despite Ethiopia's doubts about the possibility of good relations with Somalia after President Farmajo's defeat, President Hassan's visit to Addis stabilized diplomatic circles.
Cooperation between the two countries in the fight against the radical Islamic Al Shabaab militia was preceded by an offensive by the Somali terrorist group against Ethiopia last month, which opened up another crisis front after the crisis in the Tigray region.
The Abiy government is also working on food security projects in Ethiopia's Somali region, where it aims to work with local authorities to promote agricultural development projects by increasing wheat production for both local needs and for export. (GF) (Agenzia Fides, 12/10/2022)
