Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has traveled to Ankara, Turkey, for a third round of talks with Ethiopia, the Somali state news agency reported on Tuesday. The discussions aim to ease escalating tensions that could destabilize the region.
The meeting may mark the first direct encounter between President Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed since Addis Ababa unveiled plans to build a port in Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia. The announcement has angered Mogadishu, which views Somaliland as part of its territory.
Ethiopian officials and Turkey’s foreign ministry have yet to comment on the talks.
Ethiopia, a landlocked country with significant military presence in Somalia to combat al-Shabaab insurgents, has reportedly offered to officially recognize Somaliland’s independence. In return, Ethiopia seeks control of a key strategic area near the Red Sea and Indian Ocean.
“President Mohamud has departed for Ankara at the official invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The third round of Somalia-Ethiopia talks, mediated by Turkey, will resume,” the Somali National News Agency (SONNA) posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Since declaring independence in 1991, Somaliland has governed itself with relative peace and stability but has struggled to gain international recognition. Mogadishu remains staunchly opposed to its independence bid.
The dispute has also influenced Somalia’s regional alliances, drawing it closer to Egypt and Eritrea—both long-time adversaries of Ethiopia. Egypt has had ongoing disagreements with Ethiopia over the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Nile, while Eritrea has historically had contentious relations with Addis Ababa.
This latest round of talks could determine the trajectory of relations between Somalia and Ethiopia, as well as the future of Somaliland’s contested status.
