Turkey-brokered Ethiopia-Somalia deal to end tensions, resolve Somaliland dispute

Ethiopia and Somalia reached an agreement Wednesday (11 December) to ease diplomatic tensions and begin “technical talks” by February to try to resolve a dispute over a controversial maritime access signed by Ethiopia with Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland, according to a statement following talks in Turkey.

This announcement came following a third round of talks mediated by Turkey’s President Tayyip Recep Erdogan, who commended the two sides: “I would like to congratulate both brothers for coming to a compromise.” Based on the “Ankara Declaration,” the president of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and his Ethiopian counterpart, Abiy Ahmed Ali, have agreed to assure to protect each other’s territorial unity and sovereignty. “The Leaders of Somalia and Ethiopia reaffirmed their respect and commitment to one another’s sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity, as well as the principles enshrined in international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the Constitutive Act of the African Union,” says the agreement.

Erdogan, flanked by Mohamud and Abiy, told reporters in the Turkish capital, Ankara, that the two sides have reached an “important stage” in efforts to solve their dispute. Somalia’s president said he is pleased with the deal because “in one aspect it’s a conclusion because It stops the differences we had in recent times” and added that “mutual interests in cooperating together and building prosperous futures of both our two countries and our two peoples.” Describing the tensions between the two countries as a “misunderstanding,” Abiy stressed that “we are not only neighbors, but brothers and sisters, whose fates are bound by blood.” Tensions between the two neighbors have simmered since Addis Ababa signed a deal with Somaliland in January to lease land along its coastline to establish a marine force base.