MOGADISHU: Former Somali president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has stated that ex-Somaliland leader Muse Bihi Abdi had preliminarily consented to unity discussions with Somalia following intervention by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in 2020.
Farmaajo noted that Abiy had been diligently striving to advance Somali unity despite Ethiopia’s past involvement in regional fragmentation, mentioning that recent initiatives indicated movement toward reconciliation. He explained that the proposal originated during a trip to Addis Ababa, where Abiy disclosed that Muse Bihi was also in attendance and willing to facilitate dialogue between the parties. Farmaajo mentioned he accepted the invitation and engaged in extensive conversations with Bihi regarding Somalia’s prospects.
During the discussions, Farmaajo recounted that he urged Bihi to assume a leadership position within a united Somalia and tackle historical issues. He mentioned that Bihi responded positively to the suggestion and, in return, counseled him to offer a public apology to the people of Somaliland for previous concerns to restore confidence. Farmaajo further stated that Abiy had informed Bihi that Somaliland would not achieve international acknowledgment and that unification with Somalia presented the more practical alternative. He ascribed previous conflicts partly to regional circumstances, including the impact of Ethiopia’s prior Tigray administration, but indicated that Abiy was now focused on establishing harmony and collaboration.
Muse Bihi, commenting briefly on the issue recently, verified that Abiy had suggested enabling continued dialogue, potentially including a visit by Farmaajo to Hargeisa. Nevertheless, he mentioned he did not embrace every part of the suggestion.
Background: The 2020 Addis Ababa Meeting and Aftermath
The February 2020 encounter in Addis Ababa marked the first face-to-face meeting between the leaders of Somalia and Somaliland since both assumed office in 2017. The international community welcomed the resumption of talks between the two sides, which had been at loggerheads since Somaliland broke away from Somalia in 1991. Several rounds of past talks over possible unification had failed to reach a breakthrough, making this meeting a significant ice-breaking moment.
Following the Addis Ababa meeting, Farmaajo issued a public apology for the historical atrocities committed by the former Siad Barre regime against people from Somaliland. President Bihi accepted the apology but ruled out a planned tour of Hargeisa by Farmaajo and Abiy Ahmed, stressing that the visit would be unwelcome. Bihi later stated that a visit could only take place after acknowledging Somaliland’s sovereignty.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s efforts to mediate and reconcile the two sides failed to have the desired effect in Somaliland, with planned follow-up meetings in Hargeisa denied by the Somaliland administration. A second meeting between Farmaajo and Bihi eventually took place in Djibouti in June 2020, but did not result in a substantive breakthrough.
In January 2024, Bihi signed a controversial Memorandum of Understanding with Ethiopia that would have granted Addis Ababa naval base and commercial port access to a 20-kilometer stretch of the Red Sea coast in exchange for potential diplomatic recognition. The deal was met with widespread international opposition and later shelved due to external pressure, with Bihi later admitting that Ethiopia was forced to abandon the agreement. Since then, dialogue between Somaliland and Somalia has remained largely stalled, with both sides maintaining incompatible positions on the future of their political relationship.
