FACTBOX - Ethiopia-Somalia dispute: What to know

​​​​​​​By Mevlut Ozkan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali arrived Thursday in Somalia for talks on critical issues of mutual interest at the bilateral and regional levels amid improving relations.

The premier’s arrival marks his first visit since the Ankara Declaration was signed in December in Ankara. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud visited Addis Ababa in January.

A statement after the talks said the two neighboring leaders reiterated their commitment to promoting peace and security, and deepening relations for the benefit of the two nations and the broader Horn of Africa region.

Delegations of the two countries, led by their foreign ministers, met in the Turkish capital city last week to hold the first technical talks within the framework of the Ankara Declaration.

- Red Sea access: ‘An existential matter’ for Ethiopia

With a population of almost 120 million, Ethiopia is the world's most populous landlocked nation. That affects Ethiopia’s ability to conduct efficient maritime trade. It lost its Red Sea ports in the early 1990s after the Eritrean War of Independence from 1961 to 1991, when Eritrea gained independence in 1993.

In October 2023, Abiy said access to the Red Sea is "an existential matter" for Ethiopia and he would "use force" to free the country from its "geographic prison."

The dispute between Ethiopia and Somalia further erupted in January 2024, when Ethiopia signed an agreement with Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland to use the Red Sea port of Berbera. The agreement was said to give Ethiopia the right to build a port in Somaliland in exchange for recognition.

Mogadishu rejected Ethiopia's deal with Somaliland as a threat to good neighborliness and a violation of its sovereignty.

Somaliland is a former British colony in northwestern Somalia that declared independence in 1991 but has received no international recognition.

Abdiqani Mohamud Aateeye, the defense minister of Somaliland, resigned because of the agreement, saying Ethiopia is “taking our land.” He alleged that Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi did not consult his ministers about the deal on the port and naval base in the Red Sea.

- Türkiye's mediation role

Upon a Memorandum of Understanding for Ethiopia to lease a 20-kilometer (12-mile) stretch of coastal land in Somaliland, Mogadishu has drawn support from major regional and international players, including the US, UK, EU, China and Türkiye.

Türkiye played a pivotal role in thawing relations between the two East African countries, bringing the disputing parties together to address the escalating tensions.

The first of the three-round negotiations mediated by Türkiye was held between Ethiopian Foreign Minister Taye Atske Selassie and Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi in Ankara on July 1.

In August, following a visit to Ethiopia by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and subsequent contacts with Somali, officials from both countries visited Ankara for talks, but did not meet in person. Instead, Turkish officials facilitated "shuttle diplomacy" under Fidan's coordination.

Ultimately, Ethiopia and Somalia signed the Ankara Declaration on Dec. 11, with the announcement made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Both parties acknowledged the potential benefits of Ethiopia’s access to the Red Sea, while respecting the territorial integrity of Somalia, aiming to conclude and sign an agreement within four months.