They have yet to work out the fate of the MoU Ethiopia had signed with Somaliland, leading to a freeze in relations.

Somalia announced that obstacles to Ethiopia's participation in the new African Union mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) have been overcome, and the final stage of the composition and size of Ethiopian forces is expected to be sorted out shortly.

Somalia's president will visit Ethiopia on Saturday, his office said, the strongest sign yet of improving relations between the two neighbours after a year of tensions over Addis Ababa's plans to build a naval base in a breakaway Somali region.