Ethiopia and Somalia have agreed to end their bitter dispute over Addis Ababa’s plans to build a port in the breakaway republic of Somaliland, following talks in Turkey.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the “historic agreement”, which he said would ultimately ensure landlocked Ethiopia’s access to the sea.
At the news conference, he held hands with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, both of whom agreed to respect each other’s “sovereignty.”
The two neighbors have been at loggerheads since January, when Ethiopia signed a maritime deal with Somaliland, which considers Somalia part of its territory.
It sparked fears of a wider regional conflict as Egypt backs Somalia – largely due to its anger at Ethiopia over its construction of a dam on the Nile River.
Turkey has become a major geopolitical player in the Horn of Africa in recent years as it maintains close economic ties with Addis Ababa and security agreements with Mogadishu.
Erdogan said the agreement, announced Wednesday evening in the Turkish capital Ankara, was “the first step towards a new beginning.”
“I congratulate both my brothers for diligently achieving this historic reconciliation and thank them for their constructive attitude,” he said.
President Mohamud said his country was “ready to work with the Ethiopian leadership and the Ethiopian people.”
While Prime Minister Abiy insisted that Ethiopia’s efforts to make maritime access safe and reliable did not threaten Somalia, the two had “addressed the misunderstandings that have arisen over the past year.”
The feud began on New Year’s Day, when Abiy signed a controversial deal with Somaliland to lease a 20 km stretch of the coastline for 50 years to set up a naval base.
In return, Ethiopia – the world’s most populous country – would recognize Somaliland as an independent country, although Addis Ababa has never explicitly confirmed this.
Somaliland, which broke away from Somalia more than 30 years ago, has long pushed for recognition, but Mogadishu described the move as an act of “aggression.”
The two Horn of Africa neighbors will meet again in February to hold “technical talks,” according to Ankara’s joint statement.
In the meantime, they will strive to reach “mutually beneficial commercial agreements” to ensure Ethiopia’s access to the sea “under the sovereignty of Somalia.”
It is not clear whether Ethiopia has rejected the deal it struck with Somaliland – something Somalia had requested in previous mediation efforts.
Last month, Somaliland elected a new president – former opposition leader Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi – who promised to “review” the maritime deal.
He made no mention of it during his inauguration speech Thursday morning.
Somaliland is located in a strategic part of the world and is seen as a gateway to the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.
You may also be interested in:
[Getty Images/BBC]
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfricaon Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at BBCAfrica
