MOGADISHU (Halbeeg News) – The leaders of Somalia and Ethiopia have agreed to initiate a dialogue to resolve the border dispute between Djibouti and Eritrea, the office of President Farmajo confirmed.
The border row is a product of a colonial times dispute between the French and the Italians which escalated in 2008 when clashes erupted between Eritrean and Djiboutian soldiers.
Djibouti accused Eritrea of occupying its territory — the Dumeira mountain and Dumeira island.
Abdinur Mohamed, the communications director in the office of the Somali president said the leaders agreed to resolve the impasse in the interest of peace and development in the Horn of Africa region.
“Their Excellencies President Farmajo, President Afwerki, and PM Abiy Ahmed discussed the issues between Djibouti and Eritrea and agreed to initiate dialogue between the two nations for the interest of peace and progress in the Horn of Africa region,” Mr. Mohamed said.
Since last July, the Somali government has been carrying out initiatives to normalise the relations between the two horn of Africa nations.
Two months ago, Djibouti petitioned the United Nation’s security council, asking the body to ‘facilitate an agreement between them upon a mutually acceptable means of peaceful dispute settlement’.
In 2010, the dispute between these two nation was temporarily solved by a Qatar-mediated deal in 2010, but Djibouti insists that Eritrea allegedly has not returned a number of its soldiers captured during the clashes.
The Arabian peninsula nation also deployed its troops on Eritrea-Djibouti border as a buffer between the two sides.
But last year, Qatar withdrew its soldiers following the Gulf crisis, raising tensions between the neighbours.
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