Ethiopia has accepted the appointment of the new Somali Ambassador, putting an end to a three-month delay that had generated uncertainty and confusion in bilateral relations between the two countries.
According to well-placed diplomatic sources, the delay in granting Abdullahi Warfa official diplomatic approval, known as agrément, has created significant diplomatic concerns.
The long-awaited acceptance of Warfa was impeded by a long-running rivalry between Somalia’s ruling political partners, Damul Jadiid and Daljir. Initially, the Daljir circles opposed Warfa’s selection and presented their own candidate, sparking an extended struggle for control of the crucial diplomatic post.
Warfa’s nomination as the ambassador by the Somali Government came through after intense negotiations between President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre.
The negotiations which saw Mr. Barre asserting his position had resulted in an agreement reached between the two leaders according to Somali Government officials who spoke to the Horn Examiner on condition of anonymity.
As part of this agreement, President Mohamud would have one of his trusted allies, a former presidential candidate, who hails from his sub-clan, appointed as the Ambassador to Kenya, a move that is still on the cards but not practically implemented.
However, the Daljir team expressed their discontent with the decision and secretly dispatched an emissary to Addis Ababa in an attempt to obstruct the nomination by leveraging certain circles within the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Nonetheless, the significant delay, surpassing the usual 90-day timeframe for ambassador approval, was viewed as a diplomatic blunder on Somalia’s part. This perception was reinforced by the fact that Somalia had already received the Ethiopian Ambassador to Somalia, Mukhtar Mohamed Ware, without utilizing the opportunity to expedite the process for their own ambassador to Ethiopia.
It has also raised concerns about the efficiency and effectiveness of the country’s diplomatic apparatus, posing a threat to its diplomatic credibility and generated an atmosphere of uncertainty.
Ambassador Abdullahi Warfaa boasts nearly a decade of experience in the Foreign Service, having previously served as a Consul in Somalia’s diplomatic mission in Addis Ababa
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