MOGADISHU – The third round of talks between Somalia and Ethiopia, mediated by Turkey, is set to resume on Wednesday.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud departed for Ankara, Turkey’s capital, on Tuesday, following an official invitation from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Sources told Kulan Post that Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is also expected to travel to Ankara for the negotiations.
Dr. Mohamud and Mr. Abiy are both anticipated to hold separate meetings with President Erdoğan.
It marks the first direct encounter between the two leaders since Addis Ababa announced plans to build a port in Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland.
The move has sparked tensions with Mogadishu, which views Somaliland as part of its sovereign territory.
The office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the upcoming talks.
Ethiopia, a landlocked country, has thousands of troops stationed in Somalia to combat al-Qaeda-linked insurgents.
Somaliland occupies a strategic location at the juncture of the Indian Ocean and Red Sea. It sees international recognition as being within reach.
In January, Somaliland signed a preliminary deal with landlocked Ethiopia.
The agreement would grant Addis Ababa a strip of land on its coast in exchange for recognition.
Somaliland, which declared independence in 1991, has managed to govern itself and maintain relative peace and stability.
However, the autonomous region continues to face challenges in gaining international recognition.
In contrast, Mogadishu remains staunchly opposed to Somaliland’s independence bid.
The dispute has brought Somalia closer to Egypt, which has long had conflicts with Ethiopia over the construction of a vast hydroelectric dam on the Nile River, as well as Eritrea, another regional adversary of Ethiopia.
Additional reporting by Reuters News Agency’s Hereward Holland, Abdi Sheikh, Dawit Endeshaw, and Tuvan Gumrukcu.
