Ethiopia, Somalia kick-start talks in Ankara, Turkey

ANKARA, Turkey - Technical teams drawn from the federal government of Somalia and neighboring Ethiopia have begun talks in Ankara, Turkey, following formal agreements between Mogadishu and Addis Abeba, engineered by President Tayyip Erdogan.

Daudi Aweis, Somalia’s minister for information, said the teams have arrived in Ankara for the talks, which are held concerning the agreement reached sometime last year after months of tensions between the two countries.

“These talks aim to explore ways to implement the Ankara Declaration.” He added that Somalia remains committed to “fostering peace, strengthening cooperation, and building diplomatic relations” based on mutual understanding and respect.

This comes after a meeting involving Ethiopia's Foreign Affairs minister Gedion Timotheos and Turkish Deputy Foreign Affairs minister Burhanettin Duran, on 6 February 2025. Gideon had expressed Ethiopia's commitment to implement the Ankara Accord.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and Tayyip Erdogan had signed the Accord, reaffirming “respect and commitment to one another’s sovereignty, unity, independence, and territorial integrity.”

The agreement recognized the “potentially diverse benefits” of Ethiopia gaining “assured access to and from the sea” while emphasizing “respect for the territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia.” It also stated that the leaders had agreed “to forgo and leave behind differences and contentious issues.”

Somalia had accused Ethiopia of infringement of her territorial integrity and sovereignty, following Addis Ababa's secret deal with the breakaway region of Somaliland which granted it exclusive access to the Red Sea in exchange for recognition as an independent state.

The Federal Republic of Somalia maintained its commitment to protecting its territorial integrity and sovereignty, subsequently signing defense pacts with Egypt and Turkey, heightening tensions with Ethiopia in the process.

However, due to close partnerships and brotherhood, Turkey agreed to mediate the conflict, leading to the creation of technical teams that would evaluate Ethiopia's quest, albeit on commercial grounds. Ethiopia is a major security stakeholder in Somalia’s quest for peace, having deployed a significant number of its troops in the country.

GAROWE ONLINE