GAROWE, Somalia — Puntland’s acting president, Ilyas Osman Lugatoor, met Ethiopia’s consul general to the Somali regional administration on Saturday to discuss bilateral cooperation in security, trade and economic development.
Lugatoor, who is also Puntland’s vice president, received Brigadier General Tagesse Lambamo Dimbore and other Ethiopian consulate officials at his office in Garowe, according to a statement from the Puntland administration.
The meeting focused on strengthening ties between Puntland and Ethiopia, with discussions covering security cooperation, trade, economic development and closer coordination between the two sides.
The talks come amid wider geopolitical competition in the Horn of Africa, where Ethiopia’s pursuit of access to the sea has become a source of tension with Somalia’s federal government.
Mogadishu has strongly opposed a memorandum of understanding signed by Ethiopia and Somaliland in January 2024, arguing that any agreement affecting Somali territory must respect the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The deal triggered a diplomatic dispute between Somalia and Ethiopia, with the two countries subsequently engaging in efforts to ease tensions.
Ethiopia, a landlocked country since Eritrea’s independence in 1993, has repeatedly stressed the importance of securing access to the sea for its economic development.
The Puntland meeting highlights the regional administration’s engagement with Ethiopia as relations across the Horn of Africa continue to be shaped by security concerns, trade interests and competing strategic priorities.
