Horn of Africa leaders from Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia have adopted a tripartite action for the year 2020 with an emphasis on two key areas; security and economic development. It was unveiled after a one-day summit hosted by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and attended by President Mohamed Farmaajo and Ethiopia’s Abiy Ahmed.
A communique released revealed that the three leaders adopted a Joint Plan of Action for 2020 and beyond focusing on the two main and intertwined objectives of consolidating peace, stability, and security as well as promoting economic and social development.
The meeting is a welcome move seeing as it comes at a time where the three countries are in best relations and is geared at ensuring that the three countries cooperate to tackle issues like terrorism, arms, and human trafficking and drug smuggling rampant in the Horn of Africa region.
Al Shabaab and ISIS were a prominent topic seeing as the countries located on one of the most strategic regions in Africa, a sea route that has been used by smugglers to transport all manner of contraband in. additionally, the accord will increase the cooperation in fighting al Shabaab in Somalia who have been known to use the Gulf to smuggle arms and other weapons.
