Somaliland’s pragmatic relationship with its powerful neighbor Ethiopia has been a cornerstone of regional stability in the Horn of Africa for nearly three decades. Emerging simultaneously from guerrilla wars in the early 1990s, Somaliland’s Somali National Movement (SNM) and Ethiopia’s Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) built a partnership grounded in shared experiences and strategic interests. Ethiopia’s support helped Somaliland maintain security, counter Somali irredentism, and advance economic integration through initiatives like the Berbera Port project. However, the rise of Abiy Ahmed in 2018 disrupted this long-standing alliance. Ethiopia’s shift in policy downgraded Somaliland’s special status and favored closer ties with Mogadishu, introducing mistrust and frictions. The ongoing Ethiopian civil war threatens Somaliland’s strategic buffer, leaving it vulnerable to an assertive Somalia and regional instability.