Hargeisa, Somaliland – Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdilahi Irro is expected to depart for Addis Ababa on Tuesday following an official invitation from the Ethiopian government, signaling a new phase in relations between Hargeisa and Addis Ababa.
Multiple diplomatic sources confirmed that several Somaliland ministers have already arrived in the Ethiopian capital to prepare for the high-level visit. According to those familiar with the arrangements, the president’s trip is scheduled to span two to three days and will include bilateral talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
The visit comes at a time of cautious regional recalibration. Ethiopia, which has long maintained strategic interests in Somaliland due to trade, security, and maritime access considerations, has been walking a delicate diplomatic tightrope after previous agreements with former Somaliland authorities drew criticism from Mogadishu and other African capitals.
President Irro, elected earlier this year, has so far adopted a more measured tone on foreign policy — and his decision to engage Addis Ababa directly is being closely watched both at home and across the Horn of Africa.
Officials in Hargeisa have not yet released details of the agenda, but analysts expect discussions to cover economic cooperation, infrastructure links, and Ethiopia’s long-standing quest for alternative sea access. Whether talks will touch on past controversial maritime agreements remains unclear.
For Somaliland, the visit is an opportunity to assert its political presence on the regional stage under new leadership. For Ethiopia, it offers a chance to reset ties with an important neighbor without reigniting tensions with Somalia’s federal government.
The eyes of the region will now be on Addis Ababa, where the tone and optics of the meetings may speak just as loudly as any official communiqués.