Somalia and Ethiopia, the two Horn of Africa neighbors at odds over the breakaway Somaliland region, have agreed on a joint declaration to resolve their dispute, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said late on Thursday.
Speaking in a joint press conference in Ankara, Erdogan thanked Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed for their “historic reconciliation.”
Somalia and Ethiopia fell out earlier this year after the Ethiopians announced plans to build a port in Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland, which has struggled to gain international recognition despite governing itself and enjoying comparative peace and stability since declaring independence in 1991.
Somalia is firmly opposed to Somaliland’s independence bid.
Landlocked Ethiopia, which has thousands of troops in Somalia to fight al Qaeda-linked insurgents, said it would officially recognise Somaliland’s independence in exchange for a strategic strip of land, near where the Red Sea meets the Indian Ocean.
The spat has drawn Somalia closer to Egypt, which has quarrelled with Ethiopia for years over Addis Ababa’s construction of a vast hydro dam on the Nile River, and to Eritrea, another of Ethiopia’s foes.
Below is the communique detailing the agreement;
11 December, 2024.
Ankara Declaration
by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Federal Republic of
Somalia facilitiated by the Republic of Türkiye.
H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Türkiye hosted H.E.
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia and
H.E. Abiy Ahmed Ali, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of
Ethiopia on 11 December 2024 in Ankara.
The meeting, held in a cordial atmosphere, enabled a frank and constructive discussion.
The Leaders of Somalia and Ethiopia reaffirmed their respect and commitment to one another’s sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity, as well as the principles enshrined in international law, the Charter of the United
Nations and the Constitutive Act of the African Union.
They agreed, within a spirit of friendship and mutual respect, to forgo and leave behind differences and contentious issues and forge ahead in a cooperative manner to pursue shared prosperity.
Somalia recognizes the sacrifices of Ethiopian soldiers within the African
Union Missions.
They acknowledged the potentially diverse benefits that could be derived from Ethiopia’s assured access to and from the sea, whilst respecting the territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia.
They further agreed to closely work together to finalize mutually advantageous commercial arrangements through bilateral agreements, including contract, lease, and similar modalities, which will allow the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to enjoy reliable, secure and sustainable access to and
from the sea, under the sovereign authority of the Federal Republic of
Somalia.
They decided to start technical negotiations in good faith for these purposes no later than end of February 2025, with the facilitation of Türkiye, to be concluded and signed in four months.
They welcomed Türkiye’s assistance in the implementation of these
commitments and pledged to resolve any differences concerning their
interpretation and application through dialogue and in a peaceful manner with Türkiye’s support, as needed.
They expressed their appreciation to the President of the Republic of Türkiye H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for this initiative and his ongoing commitment to the process.