Tensions between Horn of Africa rivals Ethiopia and Somalia boiled over on Saturday on the opening day of an African Union summit in Addis Ababa. The two neighbours -- already at odds over a controversial maritime pact -- locked horns over Somalia's claims that Ethiopian security tried to block its President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud from accessing the summit venue. The feud is one of a "litany of difficulties" referred to by AU Commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat in his opening address to the gathering in the Ethiopian capital. "A soldier with a gun stood in front of us and denied us access to this facility," he said after later attending the summit. "Africa cannot remain arms folded and not work to promote genuine peace in the region," Faki added.

Source: Ethiopian News February 17, 2024 17:59 UTC