A Türkiye-facilitated meeting between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud ended yesterday with promises to reach a commercial maritime arrangement between the two Horn countries by June next year.
The deal, negotiations for which are set to start in February, would allow Ethiopia sea access under the “sovereign authority” of Somalia, according to a statement released yesterday.
The ‘Ankara Declaration’ signed by both leaders states intentions to “leave behind differences and contentious issues and forge ahead in a cooperative manner.”
Although the third round of talks in Ankara could mark an end to the tensions that have defined relations between Addis Ababa and Mogadishu for the past year, the Declaration fails to mention the fate of the sea access deal signed with breakaway Somaliland in January.
The development also comes amid reports that the incoming Trump administration is prepared to recognize the sovereignty of Somaliland.
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What the Ankara Declaration will mean for Ethiopia’s participation in an upcoming African Union-led peacekeeping mission in Somalia is also unclear. Over the past few months, Mogadishu has vehemently spoken out against the inclusion of Ethiopian troops in AUSSOM.
However, the Declaration hints the position might change.
“Somalia recognizes the sacrifices of Ethiopian soldiers within the African Union Missions,” it reads.
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