ADDIS ABABA (SD) – Leaders of Somalia and Ethiopia Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo and Abiy Ahmed respectively have discussed the bilateral relations between the two countries barely a day after Farmaajo attended the swearing in ceremony of Abiy in Addis Ababa town.

Farmaajo and his delegation arrived on Monday in Addis Ababa town to attend the inauguration ceremony of Abiy who was sworn in on Monday for second term.

In a statement, Villa Somalia said the leaders discussed security, economic growth as well as the cooperation between the countries.

“H.E M Farmaajo holds talks with Abiy Ahmed Ali. The leadership agreed on enhancing bilateral cooperation towards regional security, economic growth & development for mutual prosperity. President Farmaajo wished PM Abiy success while assuring him support as he enters the new term,” the statement reads in part.

The meeting between the two leaders is the first since UN and other agencies claimed that Somali forces took part in Tigray conflict.

A UN report issued in June had claimed that Somalis who were undergoing military training in Eritrea took part in the ongoing conflict in Tigray region in Ethiopia confirming similar claims by parents of the trainees and politicians in Somalia.

The UN Rapporteur report on the human rights situation in Eitrea said there was credible evidence that trainees were transported to Ethiopia as part of Eritrean forces who were reinforcing Ethiopian federal and state forces.

“In addition to reports of the involvement of Eritrean troops in the Tigray conflict, the Special Rapporteur also received information and reports that Somali soldiers were moved from military training camps in Eritrea to the front line in Tigray, where they accompanied Eritrean troops as they crossed the Ethiopian border,” the report read in part.

Both Somalia and Ethiopia’s government denied that Somali soldiers fought alongside Ethiopian troops in the conflict in its Tigray region.