Ethiopian PM today visited Somalia amid mortar attacks and protest by Somali youths. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed landed at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu on Thursday evening.
Flight operations were suspended at the airport. Only Ethiopian Airlines and Turkish Airline were allowed to operate. While the Prime Minister was still at the airport, 11 mortars were fired by Al Shabaab fighters to target the airport and surrounding area. Some of these mortars landed near airport premises.
Ethiopian Prime Minister was warmly welcomed at the airport by Hassan Sheikh, the President of Somalia. Later, the Prime Minister visited Lido beach. Security forces tried to clear the beach before the arrival of the Prime Minister. They resorted to live firing to disperse beach visitors. At least one youth was seriously injured. Angry Somali youths at the beach were heard chanting slogans against the Ethiopian Prime Minister. The PM returned to Addis Ababa after a few hours.
In a joint statement issued after the visit, the two countries announced that they will continue bilateral cooperation for peace, security and development.
Ethiopia-Somalia relations in 2024 remained highly strained. They restored diplomatic ties last year after Turkiye mediated between them. The two are still in talks to solve key issues including Ethiopian desire to gain access to sea.
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