Israeli President Herzog arrives in Addis Ababa at start of two-day official visit

Israeli President Isaac Herzog arrived in Addis Ababa on Wednesday at the start of a two-day visit to Ethiopia.

He was welcomed by the country’s Foreign Minister and is expected to meet President Salassie and Prime Minister Abiy later in the day.

The visit follows Israel’s controversial recognition of Somaliland late last year and appears to be part of a diplomatic push to expand Israeli influence in the Horn of Africa.

During his own recent visit to Ethiopia, Turkey’s President Erdogan warned that the region should not become a “battlefield of foreign forces.”