The Post-2018 Ethio-Somaliland Relations and Factors Behind its Dynamics

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Abebe Tigire Jalu
Asnake Kefale

Abstract

This article examines post-2018 Ethio-Somaliland relations and some major factors shaping them. The study utilised a qualitative approach, involving key informant interviews, archival materials, and published documents. The findings indicate that the post-2018 Ethiopian government’s policy of re-unifying Somalia and of non-intervention in Somalia’s domestic affairs harmed Ethiopia’s previously friendly relations with Somaliland. Furthermore, tensions were increased by tripartite agreements between Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia; Ethiopia’s re-unifying attempts; and Ethiopia’s hosting of an anti-Somaliland clan meeting. However, a gradual modest shift in Ethiopian foreign policy towards the region and Somalia due to regional factors, as well as the focus placed on Ethiopian access to the sea, altered the trend. The shift reflects that external regional and global factors, next to domestic factors, influenced Ethiopia’s foreign policy, and the dynamics of Ethio-Somaliland relations.

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How to Cite
Jalu, A. T., & Kefale, A. (2025). The Post-2018 Ethio-Somaliland Relations and Factors Behind its Dynamics. Modern Africa: Politics, History and Society, 13(2), 93–132. https://doi.org/10.26806/modafr.v13i2.579
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Articles
Author Biographies

Abebe Tigire Jalu, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia

He is currently pursuing a PhD in political science at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. He earned a Master of Arts in International Relations. His research interests include international relations, African Politics, Horn of African geopolitics, and Ethiopian foreign relations. His most recent article, “The Post-2018 Ethiopian Foreign Policy towards the Horn and Ethio-Sudan Relationships Dynamics” (2025), examines changes and continuity in Ethiopian foreign policy towards the Horn of Africa, and their implications for Ethio-Sudan relations.

Asnake Kefale, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia

He is an associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Addis Ababa University. He holds a PhD in Political Science from Leiden University, The Netherlands. His research interests include federalism, political economy, conflict resolution, migration, and international relations. He serves as editor-in-chief of the Ethiopian Journal of Social Science and Humanities. His recent publication, Youth on the Move: Views from Africa (Hurst Publishers, London, 2021), explores African youth mobility, agency, and governance.