President Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti on Sunday brokered the landmark talks between leaders of the federal government of Somalia and the breakaway Somaliland in Djibouti.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also attended the talks that aimed to narrow the difference between Somalia and Somaliland.
“The resumption of the talks between Somalia and Somaliland is a perfect illustration of the continued determination of the leaders of the region to resolve differences through dialogue,” Guelleh said via Twitter.
The meeting agenda was not publicized, but one observer, who has been following the efforts that led to Sunday’s talks, said the first step is to build trust between the sides and agree on a process for the talks.
By the end of the day, the two sides had agreed to appoint technical committees to continue the talks. The sides have also agreed not to politicize international development assistance and investment.
The United States Embassy, which has been supporting the process, welcomed the opening of the talks. “We support coop for the good of the #Somali people & urge all Somalis to be part of the process,” the embassy posted on Twitter.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed reiterated the value of peace and reconciliation in the Horn African region as the foundation for regional integration, according to the statement of the Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia.
“The talks follows a meeting between the two leaders facilitated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in February 2020 in Addis Ababa.
Prime Minister Abiy recounted the abundant resources in the horn that can be utilized effectively for regional development, if cooperation and peace are made to be leading forces.
MG/abj/APA