Bihi responded favorably but asked Farmaajo to acknowledge past wrongs
In the long and unresolved story of Somali unity, former President Farmaajo has drawn back a curtain on quiet diplomacy from 2020, revealing that Somaliland's then-leader Muse Bihi once signaled openness to reunification talks brokered by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa. The disclosure, offered years after both men left office, illuminates how close and yet how distant the two territories have remained — moments of apparent accord dissolving before they could take root. It is a reminder that in the politics of divided peoples, private willingness and public progress are rarely the same thing.
- Farmaajo's revelation breaks years of silence around a 2020 back-channel meeting, suggesting unity was closer to the table than the world knew.
- The talks carried real tension: Bihi asked Farmaajo to formally acknowledge historical wrongs against Somaliland communities before any reconciliation could move forward.
- Ethiopia's Abiy Ahmed played an active mediating role, pressing Somaliland to abandon its independence ambitions and embrace a path toward shared governance.
- Despite cordial exchanges and an apparent agreement in principle, neither leader converted the momentum into a formal accord before both lost power.
- The pattern holds: rounds of dialogue in Turkey, Djibouti, and now Addis Ababa have each faded without a breakthrough, and the Mogadishu-Hargeisa divide remains as wide as ever.
Last week, former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo offered a rare glimpse into diplomacy that unfolded largely out of public view. Speaking in an interview, he described how Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed arranged a direct meeting between Farmaajo and Somaliland's then-leader Muse Bihi Abdi during a period when both were in Addis Ababa in 2020. Despite longstanding suspicions about Ethiopia's role in Somali affairs, Abiy moved to bridge the divide, and Farmaajo accepted the invitation to talk.
The conversations that followed were, by Farmaajo's account, substantive. He urged Bihi to take a leading role in national reconciliation and the resolution of historical grievances. Bihi responded with cautious openness but attached a condition of his own — he wanted Farmaajo to acknowledge past wrongs suffered by Somaliland communities, a gesture he believed could soften the political ground between the two sides. Abiy, meanwhile, told both men plainly that Somaliland would not win international recognition independently, and offered Ethiopia's support for a path toward unity.
Yet the warmth of those exchanges never hardened into agreement. No formal accord emerged from Addis Ababa, and within a relatively short time both leaders had left office through their respective electoral transitions. Whatever momentum had gathered quietly dissipated.
Farmaajo's account, surfacing years later, fits a familiar and frustrating arc. Somalia and Somaliland have met across multiple venues — Turkey, Djibouti, and elsewhere — without ever arriving at a durable settlement. The fundamental question of whether Somaliland belongs within a unified Somali state or stands apart remains unanswered, and the distance between Mogadishu and Hargeisa, political as much as geographic, shows little sign of closing.
In an interview last week, former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo offered a new account of behind-the-scenes diplomacy from 2020, claiming that Somaliland's then-leader Muse Bihi Abdi had signaled openness to discussing reunification with Somalia during talks brokered by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa.
Farmaajo described how Abiy Ahmed, actively working to bridge divides among Somali political figures despite longstanding regional tensions and suspicions about Ethiopia's influence in Somali affairs, had proposed a direct meeting between the two leaders while both were in the Ethiopian capital. Farmaajo accepted, and the two men sat down for what he characterized as extensive conversations about the future of both Somalia and Somaliland, the breakaway region that declared independence in 1991 but has never won international recognition.
According to Farmaajo's account, he pressed Bihi to take on a leadership role in driving national reconciliation and resolving historical grievances. Bihi, Farmaajo said, responded favorably to the proposal but also made a countervailing request: that Farmaajo himself acknowledge past wrongs that had affected Somaliland communities, a step Bihi believed could help ease political tensions between the two territories. Abiy Ahmed, for his part, made clear that Somaliland would not achieve international recognition on its own and encouraged both men to pursue a path toward unity. The Ethiopian leader also signaled willingness to support dialogue aimed at reconciliation and regional stability.
Yet the Addis Ababa talks, despite their apparent cordiality and the apparent agreement in principle to continue discussions, did not crystallize into any formal accord. Both Farmaajo and Bihi left office not long after, following electoral transitions in Mogadishu and Hargeisa respectively, and the momentum, if it had existed, dissipated.
The failure of those 2020 talks fits a larger pattern. Over the years, Somalia and Somaliland have attempted multiple rounds of dialogue in different venues—Turkey, Djibouti, and elsewhere—yet none have broken through to a lasting settlement. The question of whether Somaliland should remain part of a unified Somalia or continue as a separate entity remains unresolved, and the political distance between Mogadishu and Hargeisa shows little sign of narrowing. Farmaajo's disclosure now, years after the fact, suggests that even moments of apparent agreement have left little trace on the ground.
Citas Notables
Muse Bihi responded positively to the idea of reconciliation while also suggesting Farmaajo should acknowledge historical wrongs affecting Somaliland communities— Farmaajo, describing the 2020 talks
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why is Farmaajo talking about this now, six years later?
He's creating a record. When leaders leave office, they often want to shape how history remembers their efforts. Farmaajo's saying he tried, that Bihi was willing—it reframes his presidency as having pursued peace, even if it didn't work.
Did the talks actually fail, or did they just... stop?
There's a difference. Farmaajo says they didn't produce a formal agreement. That could mean they ended amicably but without concrete next steps, or it could mean they hit a wall. The fact that both men left office shortly after suggests the political ground shifted beneath them.
What was Ethiopia's real interest here?
Abiy Ahmed was positioning himself as a regional mediator and stabilizer. A unified Somalia under his influence would serve Ethiopian interests. But he also had to be careful—too much meddling in Somali affairs invites accusations of imperialism, which Farmaajo himself acknowledges was a concern.
Why does Somaliland still matter if it's not recognized?
Because it controls territory, has a functioning government, and represents a real political entity that won't simply disappear. Mogadishu can't force reunification, and Hargeisa won't accept subordination. That's the deadlock.
Could talks like this happen again?
Possibly, but the conditions would have to change. New leaders, new regional dynamics, or a shift in what either side sees as achievable. Right now, both seem entrenched.