Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed are set to hold historic talks in Ankara, Turkey, after Ethiopia requested the meeting and the Somali president accepted.
The meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, comes amidst a maritime dispute between Ethiopia and Somalia over a January 1 agreement granting Ethiopia access to a 20-kilometer Red Sea coastline near the Gulf of Aden in exchange for potential recognition of Somaliland’s independence.
The Somali government views Somaliland as part of Somalia, while Ethiopia maintains that its agreement with Somaliland does not infringe on Somalia’s sovereignty.
This will be the first meeting between the two leaders since the dispute erupted.
Somalia is also expecting the withdrawal of all Ethiopian troops by the end of the month as the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia’s mandate expires.
The talks in Ankara may provide an opportunity to address these pressing issues and pave the way for improved relations between the two nations.
