In brief
- Goobjoog News reported on 2024-08-10 that Turkey's foreign minister Hakan Fidan said a second round of Somalia-Ethiopia talks will take place in Ankara next week.
- The report tied the dispute to January, when Ethiopia agreed to lease 20 km (12 miles) of coastline from Somaliland in exchange for recognition of its independence.
- The report does not establish whether the second round of talks took place or what, if anything, was agreed.
Contents
On 10 August 2024, Goobjoog News reported that Turkey's foreign minister Hakan Fidan said a second round of talks between Somalia and Ethiopia will take place in Ankara next week. The report, which gives no venue, date or agenda for the round beyond Fidan's statement, does not establish whether the talks took place or what, if anything, was agreed afterward.
According to the same Goobjoog News report, Somali and Ethiopian foreign ministers met in Ankara last month along with Fidan to discuss their disagreements, and agreed to hold another round of talks. Fidan's announcement came a week after he visited Addis Ababa and met Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the report states.
At a news conference in Istanbul, Fidan said he discussed these issues with Prime Minister Abiy in detail, according to the report. He also said, as reported by Goobjoog News, that tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia would end with Ethiopia's access to the seas through Somalia as long as Ethiopia's recognition of Somalia's territorial integrity and political sovereignty is secured. The report does not present that statement as an agreed outcome or as either side's accepted position.
The dispute the talks are meant to address
Goobjoog News reported that ties became strained in January when Ethiopia agreed to lease 20 km (12 miles) of coastline from Somaliland, in exchange for recognition of its independence. The report does not state whether that lease took effect, its term, its value, any payments, or its implementation status.
Goobjoog News reported that Mogadishu called the agreement illegal and retaliated by expelling the Ethiopian ambassador and threatening to kick out thousands of Ethiopian troops stationed in the country helping battle Islamist insurgents. The report does not quote a named official for the 'illegal' characterisation, and it does not give a figure for the Ethiopian troops beyond 'thousands' or state that any expulsion occurred.
Turkey is now mediating talks between the neighbours, according to Goobjoog News. The report does not describe the mediation as Turkey's official designation or as a formal mediation process.
Turkey's role and the construction footprint
Goobjoog News reported that Turkey has become a close ally of the Somali government in recent years, and that Ankara has built schools, hospitals and infrastructure and provided scholarships for Somalis to study in Turkey. The report gives no project names, locations, dates, values or contractors for those works.
In 2017, Turkey opened its biggest overseas military base in Mogadishu, the report states. It gives no cost, size, capacity or contractor for the base.
Earlier in 2024, Turkey and Somalia signed a defence and economic cooperation agreement, according to Goobjoog News. The report does not give the date, value or terms of that agreement, and does not present it as implemented.
Goobjoog News reported that Ankara is also set to send navy support to Somali waters, after the two countries agreed Ankara will send an exploration vessel off the coast of Somalia to prospect for oil and gas. The report does not say the navy support has been deployed, and it names no vessel, date or terms for the exploration vessel.
What is not established
The report leaves open whether the announced second round of talks actually took place, and whether any communique, joint statement or follow-up emerged from the mediation after 10 August 2024. It also gives the earlier Ankara foreign ministers' meeting only as 'last month' relative to the report, and names no Somali or Ethiopian officials beyond Fidan and Abiy Ahmed.
Frequently asked questions
What are the key contentious points over the port deal?
Goobjoog News reported that ties became strained in January when Ethiopia agreed to lease 20 km (12 miles) of coastline from Somaliland in exchange for recognition of its independence, and that Mogadishu called the agreement illegal and retaliated by expelling the Ethiopian ambassador and threatening to kick out thousands of Ethiopian troops stationed in the country.
How might a deal affect port infrastructure development?
The report does not establish any infrastructure outcome. It says Ethiopia agreed to lease 20 km (12 miles) of coastline from Somaliland in exchange for recognition of its independence, but does not state whether that lease took effect, its term, value or implementation status.
What is Turkey's role?
Goobjoog News reported that Turkey is now mediating talks between Somalia and Ethiopia. Turkey's foreign minister Hakan Fidan said a second round of talks between the two countries will take place in Ankara next week.