Ethiopia has appointed a new ambassador to Somalia, marking a potential thaw in relations after nearly a year of diplomatic tensions between the two Horn of Africa neighbors.
Somalia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Abdisalam Abdi Ali, on Monday received a copy of the credentials of Ambassador Suleiman Dedefo Woshe during a ceremony at the ministry’s headquarters in Mogadishu.
Minister Ali welcomed the new envoy and emphasized the importance of restoring and strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.
The appointment comes ten months after relations soured dramatically, prompting both countries to withdraw top diplomats. In October 2024, Somalia declared an Ethiopian diplomat, Ali Mohamed Adan, persona non grata, accusing him of activities “inconsistent with his diplomatic role.” He was ordered to leave the country within 72 hours.
Citing violations of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, specifically Articles 41 and 42, which prohibit interference in a host country’s internal affairs, Somalia also expelled then-Ambassador Muktar Mohamed Ware and recalled its ambassador from Addis Ababa.
The diplomatic rift followed controversy over a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in January 2024 between Ethiopia and Somaliland. Under the agreement,
Ethiopia sought port access to the Red Sea through Somaliland in exchange for potential recognition of the self-declared republic, an arrangement Somalia condemned as a violation of its territorial integrity.
Efforts to ease tensions included Turkish-led mediation, which led to the signing of the “Ankara Declaration” in December 2024. However, subsequent technical-level meetings in February 2025 failed to yield significant progress, and no follow-up dialogue has taken place since April.
Ambassador Dedefo’s posting signals a tentative step toward normalizing ties. Analysts say its success will depend on whether both countries can resolve lingering disputes over sovereignty and regional influence.
