African Union commends Somalia, Ethiopia for restoring ties

Ethiopia and Somalia buried their year-long hatchet caused by Addis Ababa's quest for sea access from Somaliland.

The African Union has called the restoration of full ties between the two countries an 'important milestone'.

The 54-nation bloc which is headquartered in Ethiopia's capital walked a tight rope throughout the dispute, careful not to criticize its hosts while also facing Somali pressure to intervene.

The revival of ties followed Somali President Hasan Sheikh Mohamud's trip to Addis Ababa on the weekend.

Last December following Turkey's mediation, the two leaders pledged to resolve the dispute, and to negotiate a potential deal granting landlocked Ethiopia access to the sea.

The development means Ethiopian troops will stay in Somalia as part of an African Union peacekeeping mission. Somalia had initially threatened to replace them with Egyptian soldiers.

Cairo and Addis Ababa have a long-running dispute stemming from a mega dam Ethiopia duilt on the river Nile. The presence of Egyptian troops too close to Ethiopia had prompted concern for the long term security of the Horn of Africa region.

Somalia considers Somaliland its territory and forbids official contact with it.