President of Somalia has arrived in Eritrea for tripartite talks. President Hassan Sheikh landed at Asmara airport on Wednesday evening.
” On the invitation of the Government of Eritrea, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of the Federal Republic of Somalia, and his delegation arrived in Asmara in the evening hours today for a three-day official visit. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his delegation, which includes Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, were accorded warm welcome by President Isaias Afwerki on their arrival at Asmara International Airport. The two Heads of State will discuss further enhancement of all-rounded bilateral ties of cooperation that exist between the two countries as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest. The welcoming event was attended by Mr. Osman Saleh, Minister of foreign Affairs,” the Eritrean Ministry of Information announced in a statement.
Reportedly, a senior Egyptian official is also expected to attend the talks between Eritrea and Somalia. The tripartite talks will reportedly be held to form a joint policy regarding the ongoing tension between Ethiopia and Somalia. Egypt has recently supplied arms shipments to Somalia. Egyptian military personnel are expected to lead the new peace keeping operation in Somalia.
While Egypt is expanding its military presence in Somalia, neighboring Ethiopia is not willing to withdraw all its peacekeeping troops from Somalia. Somalia has warned Ethiopia. It wants Ethiopia to withdraw from a controversial MoU with Somaliland. In case of non withdrawal from the MoU by Ethiopia, Somalia wants all Ethiopian troops out of Somalia by the end of this year. Ethiopia sees growing Egyptian military presence in Somalia as a national threat. Ethiopia and Egypt have been locked in a dispute for around a decade over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) built by Ethiopia over River Nile.
None of Egypt, Eritrea or Somalia is on good terms with Ethiopia. It seems that the 3 countries want to make joint decisions about foreign policy related to Ethiopia.
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