Somalia and Ethiopia have agreed to end a dispute over Addis Ababa’s plans to build a port in the breakaway republic of Somaliland.
The two neighbours have been at loggerheads since January when Ethiopia signed a maritime deal with Somaliland – which Somalia considers as part of its territory.
The two countries have resolved their disputevat the meeting convened by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He has welcomed the “historic agreement”, which he said would eventually ensure landlocked Ethiopia’s access to the sea.
At a press conference he held hands with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who both agreed to respect one another’s “sovereignty”.
Turkey has in recent years become an important geopolitical player in the Horn of Africa as it has close economic ties with Addis Ababa and security deals with Mogadishu.
Ethiopia warns against invasion amid regional tensions.
Erdogan said the agreement – announced on Wednesday night in the Turkish capital, Ankara – was “the first step towards a new beginning”.
“I congratulate both my brothers for reaching to this historic reconciliation with devotion 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 Ethiopia’s efforts to secure and reliable access to the sea did not threaten Somalia and the two had “addressed the misunderstandings that have occurred over the past year”.
The feud began on New Year’s Day, when Abiy signed a controversial deal with Somaliland to lease a 20km (12-mile) section of its coastline for 50 years to set up a naval base.
In exchange, Ethiopia – the world’s most-populous landlocked nation – was to reportedly recognise Somaliland as an independent country, although Addis Ababa never explicitly confirmed this.
Somaliland, which broke away from Somalia more than 30 years ago, has long been pushing for recognition – but Mogadishu described the move as an act of “aggression”.
Source: Africafeeds.com
