By Asha Elmi - Reporter
DJIBOUTI CITY, Djibouti, 30 September 2026 Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh discussed developments in Ethiopia during talks in Djibouti on Wednesday, as renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia has raised concerns over wider regional security.
Hassan Sheikh arrived in Djibouti earlier in the day for a working visit focused on strengthening relations and cooperation between the two countries, according to Djibouti’s state news agency ADI.
The meeting comes amid renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia, where forces from the Tigray region launched a major offensive against federal government forces on September 23.The fighting was also confirmed in the neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions, raising concerns about a wider conflict.
The escalation followed the formation of the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, a coalition of seven armed groups that includes the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the Amhara Fano National Movement and the Oromo Liberation Army. The alliance has said it seeks to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government and establish a transitional administration.
The renewed fighting has raised concerns about a wider conflict in Ethiopia and its potential consequences for neighbouring countries and regional trade routes. Fighting has been reported around areas of Afar and Amhara, including along routes connecting Ethiopia with Djibouti.
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Djibouti is closely connected to Ethiopia through trade and transport links, including the main corridor linking Addis Ababa to the port of Djibouti.
According to ADI, the two presidents also discussed security and peace in IGAD member states, with Djibouti currently holding the bloc’s rotating presidency. Their discussions covered the situation in Ethiopia, the war in Sudan, renewed instability in South Sudan, and security developments around the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The talks came a day after Hassan Sheikh met Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa.
The two leaders also reviewed bilateral cooperation in areas including trade and the economy, education, health, culture, sports, telecommunications and research, ADI reported.
Hassan Sheikh was accompanied by National Security Adviser M. Aweis Hadji Dahir. Djibouti’s delegation included Foreign Minister Abdoulkader Houssein Omar, Agriculture and Water Minister Radwan Abdillahi Bahdon and Somalia’s ambassador to Djibouti, Osman Doubad Sougouleh.