"Ethiopia-Somalia Agreement in Turkey: Resolving Border Disputes and Strategic Tensions in the Horn of Africa"
In December 2024, Ethiopia and Somalia reached a significant agreement in Ankara, Turkey, aimed at resolving tensions stemming from Ethiopia's maritime access ambitions and its dealings with Somaliland, a self-declared independent region of Somalia. Background of the Dispute The discord originated in January 2024 when Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Somaliland. This MoU granted Ethiopia access to the port of Berbera in exchange for Ethiopia's future recognition of Somaliland's independence. Somalia's federal government, which views Somaliland as part of its sovereign territory, perceived this agreement as a violation of its sovereignty, leading to heightened tensions between Addis Ababa and Mogadishu. Preliminary Agreed Discussion Points Under Turkish mediation, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud agreed to: Respect Sovereignty: Both nations committed to acknowledging and respecting each other's s...