Ethiopia PM Lauds Somali Region’s Peace and Development Push

Ethiopia, 31 January 2026 Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed on Saturday praised peace and large-scale development projects in the country’s Somali Region, saying years of stability had helped turn a once conflict-hit area into a growing hub for regional cooperation.

Speaking in Jijiga during the inauguration of the first phase of the Shabeely Tourism Center, attended by leaders from neighbouring countries, the Prime Minister said investments in roads, housing, energy, and industrial projects were helping reshape the region’s image and attract interest from across the Horn of Africa.

“In the past, the Somali Region was known primarily for conflict and war. Today, the peace-loving Somali people have changed that narrative,” he said, citing large-scale infrastructure developments, including “thousands of kilometers of roads and housing constructions, the recently launched oil and gas refinery and fertilizer projects, airport expansion projects, the Shebelle Resort, and automotive assembly plants.”