Israeli President Isaac Herzog arrived in Addis Ababa on Wednesday for a state visit aimed at strengthening the relations and bilateral cooperation between Israel and Ethiopia across various sectors, as reported by the Ethiopian News Agency. In a message on social media platform X, Herzog expressed his eagerness for a series of important meetings intended to bolster the friendship and partnership between the two countries and their peoples.

During his visit, Herzog is scheduled to meet with Ethiopian President Abiy Ahmed and leaders of the local Jewish community. The visit occurs during a time when Israel is keen on deepening its ties with Ethiopia to enhance its influence in Africa amidst unprecedented international and regional competition. This initiative reflects a broader strategy by Israel to solidify its presence on the African continent, which is increasingly becoming a theater for international power play.

The backdrop to this visit includes recent engagements by other nations in Ethiopia, notably a visit from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan just a week prior, who reaffirmed Turkey's stance against any unilateral recognition of Somaliland. Erdoğan emphasized the importance of preventing the Horn of Africa from becoming an arena for foreign conflicts and urged regional countries to work towards sustainable solutions for their challenges. Such developments underline the strategic importance of Ethiopia in the geopolitics of the region as countries contend for influence.