Ethiopia and Somalia sign landmark Turkish-brokered deal

Agreement ends months of tension over Addis Ababa's attempt to lease coastline from unrecognised Somaliland territory

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan poses with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Ankara on Wednesday. Reuters

Ethiopia has secured access to the sea through Somali territory, while Somalia's sovereignty and territorial integrity were affirmed under a landmark agreement reached between the two countries in the Turkish capital on Thursday.

The deal, named the Ankara Declaration, was brokered by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and announced during a meeting between the Somali and Ethiopian leaders.

According to the text of the declaration, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud “reaffirmed their respect and commitment to one another's sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity” and agreed to “forgo and leave behind differences and contentious issues” in pursuit of “shared prosperity”.

The agreement comes almost a year after Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with the unrecognised territory of Somaliland, which would have granted Addis Ababa a 50-year lease on part of Somaliland's coast along the Indian Ocean in exchange for support for the territory's independence from Mogadishu.

The move sparked strong opposition from the Somali government, which views Somaliland as an integral part of its territory. Egypt was also vocally against the deal and supported Mogadishu's position.

Cairo has its own long-standing dispute with Addis Ababa over the construction of a dam on the Blue Nile. Egypt views the project as an existential threat to its water security.

Under the Ankara Declaration, Somalia recognises the “potentially diverse benefits that could be derived from Ethiopia's assured access to and from the sea, while respecting the territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia”.

The two countries pledged to “closely work together to finalise mutually advantageous commercial arrangements” that will allow Ethiopia “reliable, secure and sustainable access to and from the sea, under the sovereign authority of the Federal Republic of Somalia”.

The declaration also highlights Somalia's recognition of “the sacrifices of Ethiopian soldiers within the African Union Missions”. Ethiopia has been a significant contributor to peacekeeping efforts in Somalia, which has been struggling with instability and the threat of an Al Shabab insurgency.

Technical negotiations to finalise the details of the agreement are set to begin by the end of February, with the final text hoped to be signed within four months. Turkey has pledged to mediate these negotiations and assist in the implementation of the deal.

A Turkish Foreign Ministry official called the agreement a promising development that demonstrates that it is possible to overcome disputes.

The official also highlighted the role of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who conducted extensive meetings with Ethiopian and Somali delegations as part of the “Ankara Process” initiated in July this year to address the tension between the two countries.

“The Ankara Process revealed that the two countries actually think similarly on many issues and can somehow overcome their disputes,” the official said. “This achievement is a result of the trust that the President of Somalia and the Prime Minister of Ethiopia have in Turkey and our President.”

The agreement marks a significant step towards resolving a long-standing issue for Ethiopia, which lost its access to the sea after the secession of Eritrea in the 1990s.

As the most populous landlocked country in the world, Ethiopia has been heavily dependent on neighbouring Djibouti for its international trade, with most of its commerce passing through the Addis-Djibouti Corridor.

Mr Abiy had previously emphasised the importance of sea access for his country, describing it as an “existential issue” and asserting that the Red Sea is Ethiopia's “natural boundary”.

The agreement with Somalia offers an alternative route to the sea, which could help diversify Ethiopia's trade options and boost its economy.

The declaration also comes at a time of heightened tension and threats to maritime security in the region, particularly in the Red Sea, where Houthi rebels have launched attacks on commercial shipping in recent months.

Cairo, which recently signed a defence pact with Mogadishu, has not yet publicly commented on the deal.

The defence pact, under which Egyptian troops were stationed to Somalia to co-operate with antiterrorism efforts, is seen by many as a move by Cairo to counter Ethiopia's influence in the region and potentially gain leverage in the dam dispute.