Eritrea says leader of Somalia, another rival, to visit

Eritrea says Somalia’s president will visit the country on Saturday as yet another rivalry in the Horn of Africa region may be coming to an end.

Eritrea’s information minister announced the three-day visit of Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed on Twitter, saying it comes at the invitation of Eritrea’s longtime leader Isaias Afwerki.

Eritrea remains under United Nations sanctions after alleged support for the Somalia-based al-Shabab extremist group. Eritrea denies it.

The visit by Somalia’s leader follows a stunning diplomatic thaw in recent weeks between Eritrea and Ethiopia after more than two decades. Ethiopia already has asked that the U.N. sanctions on Eritrea, one of the world’s most reclusive nations, be dropped.

Source: AP