Kenyan President William Ruto said Saturday that he and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni would help mediate a dispute between Ethiopia and Somalia that threatens the region’s stability.
Landlocked Ethiopia, which has thousands of troops in Somalia to fight al-Qaida-linked insurgents, has fallen out with the Mogadishu government over plans to build a port in the breakaway Somaliland region in exchange for of a possible recognition of its sovereignty.
Somaliland has struggled to gain international recognition, although it governs itself and has enjoyed relative peace and stability since declaring independence in 1991.
The dispute has brought Somalia closer to Egypt, which has been in conflict with Ethiopia for years over Addis Ababa’s construction of a vast hydroelectric dam on the Nile, and to Eritrea, another foe. of Ethiopia.
“Because the security of Somalia…contributes significantly to the stability of our region and the enabling environment for investors, businessmen and entrepreneurs to thrive,” Ruto said during a press conference.
Several attempts to resolve the conflict in Ankara, Turkey, have failed to produce a breakthrough.
Ethiopia’s government and foreign affairs spokesmen did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Somali foreign minister could not immediately be contacted by Reuters.
