ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and his Somaliland counterpart Ahmed Mohammed Silanyo met on Saturday in a continued effort to boost relations between the East African government after months of tension over violence and military action. "It was a great meeting and we feel confident that there will be ways of reaching out and delivering progress on the front of peace and solidarity," an Ethiopian official in the PM's office told Bikyanews.com. According to the government, Hailemariam reportedly "underlined Ethiopia's interest in fostering stronger relations with Somaliland administration, based on mutual benefit." He said "Ethiopia is ready to further bolster its relations with Somaliland administration in the areas of trade, education, capacity building and port services." He also underscored that Ethiopia will extend support to Somaliland in order to ensure that Al-Shabaab forces who are fleeing from other parts of Somalia will not pose a threat to Somaliland. President Silanyo reaffirmed that his administration will work towards achieving robust relations with Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, the Somali region of Ogaden has led to increased tensions, especially after last year, locals reported that a number of military abuses were leveled at the population as Addis Ababa and rebels battled for territory. Leaders in Ogaden told Bikyanews.com that while they welcome the discussion Ethiopia is having recently, they remained stalwart in their belief that without a solid backing for peace and justice, the future between both sides would remain tense. BN
