Ethiopia and Somalia Agree to Peace After Somaliland Port Dispute
Ethiopia and Somalia have settled their disagreement over Ethiopia’s plan to build a port in Somaliland, thanks to peace talks hosted by Turkey.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called this agreement “a new beginning” and praised both nations for coming together to resolve their issues, as reported by the BBC.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud agreed to respect each other’s independence and work towards peace.
The feud started earlier this year when Ethiopia made a deal with Somaliland, a region that broke away from Somalia over 30 years ago but is not internationally recognized.
Ethiopia planned to lease part of Somaliland’s coastline for a naval base, which upset Somalia because it still considers Somaliland part of its territory.
The BBC explained that this dispute raised fears of a bigger conflict in the region, especially since Egypt has been supporting Somalia due to its disagreements with Ethiopia over a dam on the River Nile.
However, Turkey has stepped in as a mediator, using its strong economic and security ties with both Ethiopia and Somalia to help them find common ground.
According to the BBC, the new agreement will give Ethiopia access to the sea while keeping Somalia’s control over its territory intact.
Both nations also promised to continue talks in February to finalize commercial arrangements that benefit them both.
While the deal seems like a big step forward, it’s unclear if Ethiopia will abandon its earlier agreement with Somaliland.
The BBC highlighted that Somaliland’s newly elected president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, has promised to review the deal, but he didn’t mention it during his inauguration speech.
Somaliland is in a key location, near the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, making it highly important for trade and geopolitics.
The BBC noted that the agreement between Ethiopia and Somalia could ease tensions in the Horn of Africa and pave the way for better regional cooperation.
President Erdogan, who played a major role in brokering the deal, congratulated both leaders for their efforts and said it marked a historic moment of reconciliation.
The BBC emphasized that the success of this agreement depends on future cooperation and trust between Ethiopia and Somalia.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgr7v1evvgo