Turkey Presses Somalia to Accept the MoU Between Somaliland and Ethiopia
This week, the Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, has declared that forthcoming negotiations, characterized by their high stakes and potential for significant breakthroughs, are scheduled to begin next week. These negotiations are intended to address a multifaceted and potentially transformative agreement involving Somalia and Ethiopia. The initiative spearheaded by Turkey aims to mitigate enduring regional tensions, encompassing Ethiopia’s pursuit of a strategic naval base on the Red Sea, Somaliland’s efforts for international recognition, and Somalia’s apprehensions regarding its sovereignty.
Tensions stem from an agreement that was first signed in January 2024 and calls for Somaliland to give Ethiopia access to a 90-kilometer area of territory bordering the Red Sea. Ethiopia would be able to build a naval facility with this access, a move that has infuriated Mogadishu. Ethiopia would formally acknowledge Somaliland’s independence in exchange for this concession.
Following a months-long impasse, Ethiopia would be granted the desired sea access and strategic naval position under the new Turkish proposal, while Somalia would be granted recognition of its sovereignty, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced this week after returning from trips to Addis Ababa and Cairo, which were intended to garner support and mediate a settlement.
According to Fidan, there is scheduled a new round of discussions for next week, following the failure of the previous meeting between Ethiopian and Somalian representatives.
The Turkish Foreign Minister did not provide detailed clarification regarding the term “sovereignty” within the context of current impasse between Somalia and Ethiopia. Consequently, Somalia is recognized as a sovereign state, despite its current state of instability and the presence of foreign forces overseeing its security and safety. On the hand, since May 18, 1991, Somaliland has declared its independence from Somalia, asserting its sovereignty over the territory it previously occupied in 1960.
The contentious issue at hand is the “recognition of the Somaliland state,” a provision encompassed within the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Somaliland and Ethiopia. It has been observed that Turkey’s Foreign Minister did not engage with this specific issue. This suggests that Turkey does not object to the inclusion of this provision within the MoU.
Fidan’s remarks are in line with Turkey’s larger policy of using its diplomatic clout to safeguard its interests in the Horn of Africa, an area that is becoming increasingly significant from a geopolitical standpoint.
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the president of Somalia, had earlier stated that Ethiopia will be granted commercial access to the sea rather than having an Ethiopian naval station established on Somali territory.
It is still unclear whether Mohamud’s administration will give in to Turkish pressure and compromise, allowing Addis Ababa to establish a naval station in Somaliland. Thus far, the government has not fulfilled its pledge to refrain from speaking with Addis Ababa until it revokes its memorandum of understanding with Somaliland.