Muqdisho News
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Friday received General Michael Langley, Commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), in Addis Ababa for discussions on bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.
“Today in Addis Ababa, I welcomed General Michael Langley, AFRICOM Commander. We discussed matters related to bilateral relations and regional concerns,” Abiy said.
The Ethiopian government provided no further details on the meeting, which comes as the United States has intensified drone strikes in Somalia targeting Daesh and Al-Shabaab militants.
The meeting followed a visit by General Langley as part of a high-level US delegation led by Ambassador Richard Riley to Somaliland’s Berbera and Hargeisa. The delegation held talks with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Cirro) and senior officials.
The US team also toured the port of Berbera, assessing infrastructure crucial for regional security cooperation.
A statement from the Somaliland presidency said the talks focused on “shared security, maritime interests, and defense cooperation,” emphasizing Berbera’s strategic importance for the security of the Bab el-Mandeb strait.
Diplomatic sources suggest the United States aims to establish new military bases in Berbera to counter increasing threats from Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have launched attacks on international shipping passing through the Red Sea. These attacks are believed to be supported by Iran, currently engaged in a direct conflict with Israel.
Security analysts warn that if the US directly attacks Iran, Tehran and its regional allies, including the Houthis, could retaliate by targeting US military installations in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa, such as the base in Djibouti, potentially destabilizing the region.
