Informed media sources in Mogadishu talk about the administration of President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud entering into secret discussions with Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh, regarding a radical emergency plan that may allow Djibouti to annex the Awdal region.
According to the sources, this step comes in response to Israel’s recognition of the Republic of Somaliland (Somaliland), in what is considered an unprecedented escalation in the regional crisis.
The sources explained that the discussions taking place out of the limelight come in light of escalating tension between the federal government and Somaliland, after the recent Israeli recognition of it, which was considered by Mogadishu to be a violation of national sovereignty.
These leaks indicate that the federal government is seeking to exploit Djibouti's strategic position on the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the common border with Awdal, to offer a political bargain that might guarantee the Djiboutian side regional gains, while Mogadishu seeks to ease the pressure of Israeli recognition and redraw the map of influence in the region.
