Turkey has previously hosted two rounds of negotiations between the East African neighbours. A third round of talks, initially scheduled for September, was cancelled amid escalating tensions, a sign of the challenges in resolving the rift
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 "Turkey's Erdogan mediates Somalia-Ethiopia dispute over Somaliland independence")
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a press conference on the sidelines of the NATO 75th anniversary summit at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, July 11, 2024. AFP
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held separate meetings Wednesday (December 11) with the leaders of Somalia and Ethiopia in a bid to mediate a simmering dispute between the two East African nations over the breakaway Somaliland region.
Erdogan met with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Ankara, according to posts on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, by the Turkish Presidency. Details of the discussions were not disclosed.
Ethiopia’s Office of the Prime Minister confirmed Abiy’s bilateral meeting with Erdogan, which included delegations from both countries. Somalia’s national broadcaster, SNTV, reported that Mohamud and Erdogan discussed strengthening bilateral ties and setting the stage for a third round of Turkey-mediated talks between Somalia and Ethiopia.
Rift over Somaliland
The dispute stems from Ethiopia’s plans to build a port in Somaliland, a region that declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but has not gained international recognition. Somaliland has maintained relative peace and stability while governing itself, but Somalia remains staunchly opposed to its independence.
Ethiopia, a landlocked country with troops stationed in Somalia to combat al-Shabab militants, has indicated willingness to recognize Somaliland’s independence in exchange for a strategic strip of land near the Red Sea and Indian Ocean intersection.
The tensions have strained relations between the two nations, with Somalia drawing closer to Ethiopia’s regional adversaries, including Egypt and Eritrea.
Both have longstanding disputes with Addis Ababa, including over Ethiopia’s construction of a massive hydroelectric dam on the Nile River.
Turkey, which has strong ties to both Ethiopia and Somalia, has sought to mediate the dispute. Ankara provides development assistance to Somalia and trains its security forces, bolstering its influence along a key global shipping route. Turkey has previously hosted two rounds of negotiations between the East African neighbours.
A third round of talks, initially scheduled for September, was cancelled amid escalating tensions, a sign of the challenges in resolving the rift. Erdogan’s meetings with Mohamud and Abiy are seen as part of ongoing efforts to repair relations and revive dialogue between the two nations.
With inputs from agencies
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