Kenyan president William ruto announced on Saturday that he will soon convene a meeting with the leaders of Ethiopia,Somalia and Uganda to address the escalating tensions in the Horn of Africa, a region grappling with chronic instability and profound security challenges that continue to undermine its socia-economic development.
Ruto made the statement during the 24th East African Community heads of state summit in Arusha,Tanzania,although he did not specify a date for the meeting.The planned summit will mark the first in-person dialogue between somali president hassan sheikh mohamud and Ethiopian Prime minister Abiy Ahmed since tensions flared over a land lease a long the Red Sea that the break-away region of Somaliland granted Ethiopia.
Somali president hassan sheikh mohamud had previously rejected direct talks with Ethiopian prime minister abiy ahmed,with his government insisting that it would not engage with addis ababa until it withdrew its contentious memorandum of understanding with Somaliland.How ever,Somalia later participated in two rounds of unsuccessful negotiations mediated by Turkey in Ankara.
It remains uncertain wether the meeting announced by Kenyan president ruto will yield a different outcome and pave the way for resolving the nearly year-long diplomatic standoff between Ethiopia and Somalia.
Source:somali guardian