Ethiopia has elevated its consular office in Hargeisa, Somaliland’s capital, to an embassy, according to Ali Mohamed Hassan, Somaliland’s Minister of Information.
Somaliland President Musa Bihi Abdi initially announced this change on May 18 during the celebration of Somaliland’s 33rd anniversary of its self-declared independence from Somalia.
The Ethiopian government has not yet confirmed this upgrade. However, President Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia recently announced new ambassadorial appointments, including Delil Kedir Bushra as the ambassador to Hargeisa. Delil Kedir has been serving as Ethiopia’s envoy to Somaliland since March of last year.
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This upgrade in diplomatic status occurs despite Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expelling Ethiopian Ambassador Muktar Mohamed, shutting down the Ethiopian embassy in Mogadishu, and ordering the closure of Ethiopian consulates in Somaliland and Puntland.
The diplomatic fallout between Ethiopia and Somalia followed a Memorandum of Understanding signed on January 1 between Ethiopia and Somaliland, which allowed Ethiopia to lease a military base in Somaliland in exchange for recognizing its independence.
