In a notable step toward restoring full diplomatic ties, Ambassador Suleiman Dedefo officially presented his credentials as Ethiopia’s new Ambassador to Somalia on August 5, 2025. The ceremony, held at Villa Somalia in Mogadishu, marked a renewed chapter in the historically complex relationship between the two Horn of Africa neighbors.
Ambassador Dedefo was received by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who also accepted the credentials of ambassadors from Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mexico, Venezuela, Korea, Mauritania, and Iraq.
According to a statement from Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Ambassador Dedefo assumes the role of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Somalia, with a mandate to advance bilateral cooperation across diplomatic, security, and economic fields.
During the credentialing ceremony, President Hassan Sheikh expressed appreciation to Ethiopia for its continued support in Somalia’s peacebuilding efforts. He emphasized the importance of establishing joint bilateral commissions to advance shared priorities between the two “sisterly nations.”
Ambassador Dedefo reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to strengthening diplomatic and economic ties, stressing the need for coordinated regional security efforts — a point of mutual interest amid the Horn of Africa’s volatile geopolitical landscape.
From Hostility to Dialogue
The ambassador’s appointment follows a tense period in 2024, when relations between the two countries deteriorated sharply over Ethiopia’s controversial Memorandum of Understanding with Somaliland, signed on January 1, 2024. The deal, which promised Ethiopia a 20-kilometer stretch of Red Sea coastline in exchange for recognizing Somaliland’s independence, sparked a fierce backlash from Mogadishu, which considers Somaliland an integral part of its sovereign territory.
The crisis culminated in April 2024 when Somalia expelled Ethiopia’s former ambassador, Muktar Mohamed Ware, declaring him persona non grata and giving him 72 hours to leave the country.
Tensions were de-escalated following Turkish-brokered mediation, resulting in the Ankara Declaration signed in December 2024 — an agreement that helped restore dialogue between the two sides.
A Cautious Recalibration
While both governments have since exchanged official visits and shown goodwill toward reconciliation, analysts say Somalia remains cautious. Despite the thaw in relations, Mogadishu continues to pursue alternative political and military alliances in both the Horn and North Africa — efforts seen as a strategic counterbalance to what it views as Ethiopia’s territorial overreach.
Somaliland, which has functioned as a de facto independent state for over three decades, remains at the heart of the dispute, with no resolution in sight.
Still, the credentialing of Ambassador Dedefo signals a constructive shift. It suggests both sides are willing to put recent diplomatic ruptures behind them and explore a more pragmatic path forward — one grounded in mutual interest, regional stability, and long-term cooperation.
