Somalia and Ethiopia have agreed on a joint declaration to resolve their dispute over the breakaway Somaliland region and land-locked Ethiopia’s push for sea access, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced.
Speaking in a joint news conference in Ankara, Erdogan late on Wednesday thanked Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed for their “historic reconciliation”.
Hailing the agreement, Erdogan said he hoped the deal would be “the first step towards a new beginning based on peace and cooperation between Somalia and Ethiopia”, and would eventually ensure that Ethiopia – the most populous land-locked country in the world – gains sea access.
“I believe with the meeting we had today, especially with Ethiopia’s demands to access the sea, my brother Sheikh Mohamud will give the necessary support for accessing the sea,” the Turkish leader said.
“This joint declaration focuses on the future, not the past, and records the principles that these two friendly countries, which are very important to us, will build from now on,” Erdogan said later in a post on social media.
The two neighbouring countries in the Horn of Africa have seen tensions escalate since Ethiopia struck a deal in January with Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland to lease a stretch of its coastline for an Ethiopian port and military base in exchange for diplomatic recognition, although this was never confirmed by Addis Ababa.
The move prompted a fierce diplomatic and military row with Somalia, which branded the deal a violation of its sovereignty, setting international alarm bells ringing over the risk of renewed conflict as the dispute drew in Ethiopia’s longstanding rival Egypt and Eritrea.
Somaliland seceded from Somalia more than 30 years ago but is not recognised by the African Union or the United Nations as an independent state. Somalia still considers Somaliland part of its territory.
Over the years, Somaliland has built a stable political environment, contrasting sharply with Somalia’s ongoing struggles with insecurity amid deadly attacks by al-Shabab rebels.
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy and Somali President Mohamud arrived in Ankara earlier on Wednesday for the talks, which were the latest following two earlier meetings that made little progress.
According to the text of the agreement released by Turkiye, the parties agreed “to leave behind differences of opinion and contentious issues, and resolutely move forward in cooperation towards common prosperity”.
Both have agreed to work together on commercial arrangements and bilateral agreements that would ensure Ethiopia’s “reliable, safe and sustainable access” to the sea “under the sovereign authority of the Federal Republic of Somalia”.
They will now initiate technical talks no later than the end of February, which are to be completed “within four months”, and continuing differences are to be dealt with ” through dialogue” and where necessary with the support of Turkiye.
Speaking alongside Erdogan, his remarks translated into Turkish, Ethiopia’s Abiy said: “We have addressed the misunderstandings that have occurred over the past year.”
“Ethiopia’s desire for secure access to the sea is a peaceful venture and will benefit our neighbours, it is a venture that must be seen in the spirit of cooperation, not suspicion,” he said.
The Somali leader, whose remarks were also translated, said the agreement had “put a halt to their differences” and that his nation was “ready to work with the Ethiopian leadership and the Ethiopian people”.
Turkiye has been mediating between the two countries since July, leading discussions aimed at resolving their differences.
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