Herzog Meets Abiy as Horn of Africa Diplomacy Shifts

By: Mohamed Duale

ADDIS ABABA, Feb 25 (Horndiplomat) – Israeli President Isaac Herzog met Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Wednesday during his official visit to Ethiopia, with both leaders pledging to deepen cooperation across key economic, technological and regional sectors.

“I welcomed President Isaac Herzog of Israel today for productive discussions during his official visit. We explored the relations between Ethiopia and Israel and considered ways to improve collaboration in areas of mutual interest,” Abiy said in a post on X.

Herzog described the meeting as “excellent” and thanked the Ethiopian prime minister for his hospitality.

“The relationship between Israel and Ethiopia has huge potential. We discussed ways to strengthen our bilateral cooperation in the fields of innovation, science, technology, agriculture, food security, water and energy, and to advance regional cooperation — to the benefit of both our peoples,” Herzog wrote on X.

He added that Israel is working to deepen ties with countries across Africa, describing Ethiopia as an important partner of the State of Israel for decades.

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Israel and Ethiopia maintain longstanding diplomatic relations, with cooperation spanning agriculture, development assistance, water management and security coordination. Officials indicated that Wednesday’s discussions focused on expanding collaboration in innovation-driven sectors and reinforcing regional engagement.

The visit comes amid shifting regional dynamics following Israel’s recognition of Somaliland in December 2025, a move that reshaped diplomatic calculations in the Horn of Africa. Observers say Ethiopia, a pivotal regional power, is closely watching evolving alliances as geopolitical interests and strategic partnerships across the region continue to develop.

Meanwhile, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro is expected to make his first official visit to Israel at the end of March, according to a report by the Jerusalem Post.

Herzog and President Irro previously met on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year, in what officials described as part of growing diplomatic engagement between the two sides following Israel’s recognition decision.

Analysts say the sequence of high-level contacts signals an evolving diplomatic landscape in the Horn of Africa, as Israel expands its outreach across the continent and regional actors recalibrate their foreign policy strategies.

— Reporting by Horndiplomat