Ethiopia and Somaliland engaged in talks on Monday to discuss the development of military cooperation, according to the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF). The Chief of Staff of ENDF, Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, held discussions with his Somaliland counterpart, Major General Nuh Ismail Thani, in Ethiopia, focusing on military partnership between the two nations.

The meeting occurred shortly after Ethiopia and Somaliland signed a pact granting Ethiopia access to the Red Sea. This agreement, criticized by Somalia’s authorities as an act of “aggression” and a violation of sovereignty, has stirred regional tensions. Last week, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi signed a memorandum of understanding, covering various areas of collaboration, including social, economic, political, and military domains.