ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday announced that 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.
The East African countries agreed to work together to resolve their differences over a deal that would allow Addis Ababa to build a military base on the coast of the breakaway region of Somaliland in exchange for a stake in its national airline.
“We have taken the first step toward a new beginning based on peace and cooperation between Somalia and Ethiopia,” Erdogan said. Erdogan announced the deal he brokered between Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
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 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 diplomatic row with Somalia.
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 considers Somaliland part of its territory.
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 Turkey, 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 differences are to be dealt with “through dialogue” and where necessary with the support of Turkey.
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”.
Turkey has been mediating between the two countries since July, leading discussions aimed at resolving their differences.
