Ethiopia PM in Somalia for talks after reconciliation

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed arrived in Somalia for talks with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Thursday aimed at building on a fragile reconciliation.

They will hold talks "on security, politics and diplomacy, economics and the fight against terrorism in the region", the Somali government said in a statement.

Security officials at the airport said Abiy's delegation had safely left the airport without incident.

However, residents reported mortar attacks in areas near the airport shortly after their departure for the presidential palace.

It was not clear if the attacks were linked to Abiy's arrival. Somalia remains highly volatile, with the Islamist Al-Shabaab group maintaining a heavy presence in the country.

"Two rounds of mortar shells landed in Bulohubey neighbourhood. An elderly woman was wounded after the shell exploded close to her house," local resident Abdiraham Hassan told AFP.

A member of Ethiopia's delegation told AFP they were not aware of any mortar attacks.

Tension between the two countries mounted last year after Ethiopia struck a deal with the Somali breakaway region of Somaliland to gain access to the sea.

But they announced a full restoration of diplomatic ties in January following a peace deal mediated by Turkey the previous month.

A source in the Somali presidential palace told AFP on Wednesday on condition of anonymity that Abiy's visit was "part of a broader effort to complete and implement the Ankara agreement", referring to the deal struck in the Turkish capital.

Somaliland said its January 2024 deal with Ethiopia would have led to Addis Ababa recognising its independence -- though that was never confirmed -- in exchange for a long-desired naval base for the land-locked nation.

Mogadishu was furious over the deal and withdrew its ambassador from Ethiopia.

Following the rapprochement, the fate of Ethiopia's deal with Somaliland remains uncertain.