MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Ethiopia and Somalia commenced high-level technical discussions in Turkish capital Ankara on Tuesday to advance the implementation of an agreement reached last year, which resolved a dispute between the two nations.
The talks, hosted by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, are being led by Somali State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ali Mohamed Omar and Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos.
The negotiations are expected to focus on Ethiopia’s ambition to secure access to the sea through Somalia’s federal government in Mogadishu. This issue has been a point of contention since early last year, when Somalia vehemently opposed a maritime access deal Ethiopia signed with Somaliland, a breakaway region which Mogadishu considers part of its territory.
Under the Ankara agreement, Somalia has expressed willingness to grant Ethiopia commercial sea access, though the specifics of the arrangement remain under discussion.
It is unclear how Ethiopia will address its earlier memorandum of understanding with Somaliland, which had sparked diplomatic tensions.
In addition to maritime access, the delegations are set to discuss Ethiopia’s role in the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), which began operations in January.
Ethiopia currently has over 10,000 troops deployed in Somalia, primarily combating the militant group Al-Shabaab.
Previously, Somalia had excluded Ethiopia from its list of troop-contributing countries due to the dispute. However, following the Ankara agreement, Mogadishu indicated it would explore avenues to integrate Ethiopian peacekeepers into the mission, despite existing quotas being filled.
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