Wednesday July 3, 2024
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan meets with his counterpart, Taye Atske Selassie of Ethiopia, in Ankara, on May 9, 2024. - X/Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs Taye Atske Selassie
Ethiopia and Somalia on Monday agreed to continue Turkey-mediated talks to resolve their disagreements after a controversial deal between Ethiopia and the breakaway region of Somaliland earlier this year brought the two countries to the brink of armed conflict.
Turkey “assumed the role of a facilitator,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told journalists in Ankara, following a meeting by his Somali and Ethiopian counterparts, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi and Taye Atske Selassie, who traveled to Ankara for the first round of the talks.
The ministers, who had a “candid” exchange as they explored a mutually acceptable framework to their disagreements during their talks, “agreed to pursue the ongoing dialogue with a view to resolving their issues and ensuring regional stability,” according to a joint statement issued after the three ministers' press briefing.
The second round of discussions will be held in Ankara on Sept. 2, Fidan said.
“It is no secret that, due to the complicated nature of the many dynamics at play, we will need further reflections on this issue,” he added. “In light of what we heard today, we remain hopeful for the future.”
The Jan. 1 deal signed between Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland and Ethiopia would grant Addis Ababa access to the Red Sea in return for the recognition of breakaway Somaliland. Somalia, which doesn’t recognize the de facto republic, rejected the agreement as a violation of its sovereignty.
Turkey has publicly backed the territorial integrity of Somalia, which is home to the largest Turkish military base abroad. But Ankara also has close ties with Addis Ababa, with Ethiopia purchasing more than a dozen drones from Turkey in 2021.