Ethiopia seeks to “further strengthen” fraternal relations with Somalia

Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailmariam Dessalegn


The Ethiopian government is seeking to further strengthen existing fraternal relations with Somalia as “two sisterly” countries, Bar-kulan can reveal.In a letter written by Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailmariam Dessalegn to his Somali counterpart, Abdi Farah Shirdon, dated 12 November 2012; Dessalegn congratulated Mr Shirdon and his cabinet, saying that “the able leadership of you and your appointed ministers, the people of the federal republic of Somalia will enjoy the continuity and benefits of democracy, peace and development”.The letter seen by Bar-kulan also reveals Ethiopia’s hope to strengthen relations with Somalia.“It is my hope that this event will allow the existing fraternal relations between our two sisterly countries to be further strengthened,” reads the letter in part.The Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailmariam Dessalegn wished his Somali counterpart Abdi Farah Shirdon a very success in discharging his responsibilities.“Please accept, your Excellency, my best wishes for your personal wellbeing and for the peace and prosperity of the people of the federal republic of Somalia,” reads another part of the letter written in capital letters.Relations between the two neighbouring countries have been fragile and all time low even before Somalia’s independence in 1960s. They have a long history of deep rooted political rivalry over the Ogaden region of Ethiopia, a region mainly inhabited by ethic Somalis.With a dream of larger Somalia, former Somali president, Mohamed Siad Barre launched a full scale war on Ethiopia over the Ogaden region in 1977, a war that has later cribbed Somalia’s economy and widened the rivalry gap between the two countries.In 2006, Ethiopian troops crossed the border to Somalia in pursuit of once powerful Islamic Courts Union, by then trying to unseat the UN-backed interim Somali government led by President Abdullahi Yussuf Ahmed. Its military interventions in Somalia helped organise and strengthen insurgency in the troubled horn of African country which later gave birth to hard-line Al-Shabaab militant group.Though Ethiopia withdrew its troops from Somalia in 2009, it has still remarkable military presence in the country especially areas along its borders.This recent development appears to be an effort by Ethiopia to win back the hearts of the Somali people in order to maintain regional security in the Horn of Africa and be at peace with its long-time archrival Somalia.The current Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailmariam Dessalegn came into power in last August after the death of Ethiopian strongman Meles Zenawi who died on August 20th in Brussels following a long undisclosed illness.