Photograph: Turkish-mediated Ethiopia-Somalia Agreement[File/screenshot]
The African Union Commission(AUC) on Thursday welcomed the Turkish-mediated agreement between Ethiopia and Somalia to end their dispute over Ethiopia’s access to and from the sea deal with the self-declared republic of Somaliland.
Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairperson of the AUC has welcomed the declaration signed by Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in its press release.
Mahamat has shown his interest in seeing when the agreement clauses mentioned in the communiqué will be implemented “without delay.”
Chairperson of the AU Commission @AUC_MoussaFaki welcomes agreement signed by Somali President and Ethiopian Prime Minister
— African Union (@_AfricanUnion) December 12, 2024
https://t.co/LWFdRQmIAq pic.twitter.com/MUiEuHEjwa
He has also congratulated Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan“for his support to the two parties in their shared commitment to resolve their differences through consultation and dialogue, in the best interests of their countries and peoples.”
Similarly, Workneh Gebeyehu, executive secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), expressed his gratitude to Turkish President Erdoğan “for his instrumental role in hosting and facilitating the discussions.”
IGAD Welcomes the Ankara Agreement Between the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Federal Republic of Somalia
— IGAD Secretariat (@IGADsecretariat) December 12, 2024
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Speaking in a joint news conference held on Wednesday night in Ankara, the two neighborly countries agreed to respect one another’s sovereignty, where Erdoğan thanked President Mohamud and PM Abiy Ahmed for their “historic reconciliation”.
As per the “mutually beneficial commercial arrangements” clause of the declaration, Ethiopia could access to and from the sea “under Somalia’s sovereignty”.
Some geopolitical analysts have, nevertheless, criticized the agreement for not revoking the “defense agreement” that Somalia reached with Egypt, although “technical negotiations with Turkish facilitation” reportedly will proceed by the end of February 2025 and conclude them within four months.
Egypt and Somalia signed a defense agreement in mid-August 2024 that led Egypt to send weapons and deploy troops to Somalia since then.
Turkey, the main supplier of Drones to the Ethiopian government, mediated two rounds of failed talks between Ethiopia and Somalia at the foreign ministerial level in July and August 2024 until the third talk became successful yesterday.
Turkey has become an important business and military partner to both Ethiopia and Somalia and a key geopolitical actor in the Horn of Africa at large.
Turkey signed the Defense and Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement and an oil and gas cooperation deal with Somalia in February and March 2024 respectively.
It is great to see Ethiopia and Somalia working towards a peaceful resolution with Turkey’s support. The agreement highlights the importance of dialogue and mutual respect in resolving disputes. Turkey’s role as a mediator shows its growing influence in the Horn of Africa. The implementation of the agreement will be crucial for the region’s stability. How will this agreement impact the relationship between Ethiopia and Somaliland in the future?
The African Union Commission has shown a positive stance towards the recent agreement between Ethiopia and Somalia. The role of Turkey in mediating this deal highlights its growing influence in the region. It’s encouraging to see neighboring countries resolve disputes through dialogue. However, the implementation of the agreement’s clauses remains to be seen. How will this agreement impact the broader geopolitical dynamics in the Horn of Africa?