Two rival African countries finish discussions without agreement once again

(MENAFN) Ethiopia and Somalia have agreed to schedule another round of negotiations following a failed attempt to resolve their dispute over a port deal in Ankara on Tuesday. The talks, initiated by Türkiye in early July, aimed to address tensions that emerged in January when Somaliland, a self-declared republic, leased 20 kilometers (12 miles) of its coastline to Ethiopia.

This 50-year agreement allows Ethiopia, a landlocked country, to access the Red Sea for commercial activities and establish a naval base. In return, Somaliland's President Muse Bihi Abdi stated that Ethiopia would officially recognize Somaliland’s independence. However, Somalia, which claims Somaliland as part of its own territory despite its declaration of independence in 1991, has condemned the deal as a territorial acquisition.

In response to the agreement, Somalia threatened to expel thousands of Ethiopian soldiers stationed in the country to combat the terrorist group al-Shabaab if Ethiopia did not annul the deal. The Somali government had previously expelled Ethiopian Ambassador Muktar Mohamed Ware and closed Ethiopian consulates in Somaliland and Puntland earlier in April.

The continued discord between Ethiopia and Somalia highlights the complex geopolitical dynamics in the Horn of Africa and underscores the challenges in reaching a diplomatic resolution.

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