MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday hosted separate conferences with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Ankara, setting the stage for his or her first in-person encounter since tensions erupted earlier this 12 months over Somaliland’s controversial lease of land alongside the Pink Sea to Ethiopia.
The conferences adopted a day after the 2 leaders arrived in Turkey at Erdogan’s invitation, with the Turkish president now looking for to spearhead a 3rd spherical of negotiations between the 2 nations, months after the earlier talks, attended by overseas ministers, faltered and in the end collapsed with out attaining any progress.
On the time, Somalia demanded Ethiopia withdraw from its memorandum of understanding with Somaliland, looking for entry to Pink Sea land for a naval base, because it considers Somaliland—which declared independence in 1991—to be a part of its territory, whereas Ethiopia steadfastly rejected the request, insisting on honoring its settlement, thus stymieing any potential decision on the negotiating desk.
Whereas it stays unclear what impression the assembly between Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Abiy Ahmed may have, given practically a 12 months of Somalia’s resistance to direct talks with Ethiopia’s chief, Yusuf Garad, a member of the Somali president’s delegation in Turkey, emphasised that it’s too quickly to gauge the result, expressing hope that the discussions will in the end show fruitful for Somalia’s place.
Contact us: data@somaliguardian.com
