Somalia and Ethiopia are set to resume talks this week in Ankara to address disagreements over a port deal that Ethiopia signed with the breakaway region of Somaliland earlier this year. According to Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, tensions could be resolved if Ethiopia’s access to the seas is secured without disrespecting Somalia’s territorial integrity and political sovereignty. The contentious agreement, signed in January, grants Ethiopia a 50-year lease on a naval base with access to Somaliland’s Berbera port, in exchange for Ethiopia’s recognition of Somaliland’s independence. This deal has strained relations between Somalia and Ethiopia, leading Somalia to expel Ethiopia’s ambassador and shut down Ethiopian consulates in Somaliland and the semiautonomous region of Puntland. Somalia, which views Somaliland as part of its territory, has called the deal “outrageous” and “unauthorized.” Turkey, a close ally of Somalia, is facilitating the talks following its recent diplomatic engagements in Addis Ababa.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA
Turkey Mediates Fresh Talks Between Somalia and Ethiopia Over Port Deal
