Ambassador Dedefo officially presented his credentials to Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud during a ceremony held in Mogadishu on August 5, 2025.

Somalia’s Foreign Minister Abdisalan Dhaay was also in attendance, underscoring the importance of the occasion.

His appointment comes after nearly a year and a half of strained relations between Mogadishu and Addis Ababa.

Tensions reached a peak in April 2024, when Somalia expelled Ethiopia’s previous ambassador and ordered the closure of its embassy in Mogadishu.

However, Ethiopia’s diplomatic missions in Hargeisa (Somaliland) and Garowe (Puntland) continued to operate.

The diplomatic fallout was triggered by Ethiopia’s Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with Somaliland on January 1, 2024.

The agreement granted Ethiopia access to a 20-kilometer stretch of coastline for a port and military base, coupled with a pledge to recognize Somaliland’s independence—a move the Somali federal government viewed as a breach of its sovereignty.

In mid-2024, Ethiopia further raised eyebrows by upgrading its consulate in Hargeisa to a full embassy, in what many interpreted as a symbolic recognition of Somaliland, although Ethiopia has yet to officially declare formal recognition.

Diplomatic conflict

Efforts to repair the rift culminated in the Ankara Declaration on December 12, 2024, a Turkey-brokered agreement that laid out a framework for resolving the dispute and pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation under Somali sovereignty.

In February 2025, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visited Mogadishu, and by January, Somalia’s foreign minister announced that the diplomatic conflict had been resolved without any concessions from Somalia.

Ambassador Dedefo brings decades of experience to his new post.

He previously served as Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Djibouti, where he chaired the IGAD Committee of Ambassadors, and later as Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, playing a key role in strengthening economic and strategic partnerships between Ethiopia and the Gulf.

Known for his commitment to peace, regional integration, and democratic governance, Ambassador Dedefo is also believed to have supported the people of Somaliland’s right to self-determination, although he has not made such views public.

His posting is seen as part of Ethiopia’s broader strategy to reset ties with Somalia and reaffirm its role as a stabilizing force in the Horn of Africa.

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