The meeting brokered by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took place in Addis Ababa without any communique being issued.

It is billed as breaking the ice. Observers say it could be heartening news for the complex and troubled Horn of Africa.

Presidents Mohamed Farmajo of Somalia and Musa Bihi of Somaliland are the first two leaders of those countries to meet in nearly 30 years.

Somaliland withdrew from its post-independence union with Somalia after the 1991 fall of dictator Siad Barre who tried to bomb Somaliland out of existence.

Since then its has successive democratic elections but has never gained recognition by Africa or the rest of the world.

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Situated at the top of the Horn of Africa, the country of four million citizens has  become a haven of stability in that turbulent part of the world.

After independence,former British protectorate Somaliland joined with former Italian colony Somalia in the vain hope of forming a greater Somalia.

Somali dictator Siad Barre turned on the country flattening  the Somaliland capital of Hargeisa with aerial bombardments.

When Barre was overthrown in 1991, Somaliland broke with Somalia and began a painful but successful program of reconstruction.

The country has had a succession of elections, including the defeat of a president who stood down without argument.

It receives development aid from Western countries but has yet to have its sovereignty acknowledged.

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