Diplomats from Somalia and Ethiopia have failed to reach an agreement following two days of indirect talks in Turkey, mainly over coastline access for Ethiopia, according to two officials who spoke to VOA on the condition of anonymity.
The talks focused on a dispute between Ethiopia and Somalia over a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, that Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed signed with Muse Bihi Abdi, president of the self-proclaimed, breakaway region of Somaliland, on January 1.
Under the MOU, Somaliland officials said they would lease 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) of coastline for 50 years to Ethiopia in return for Addis Ababa recognizing Somaliland as an independent country. Somaliland has not gained any international recognition for its 1991 declaration of secession from Somalia.
The Somali government strongly rejected the Ethiopia-Somaliland deal and accused Ethiopia of violating Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
A first round of talks, mediated by Turkey, occurred in Ankara on July 1 but ended with no breakthrough.
Representatives from the two African countries could not reach an agreement during this week’s second round of talks, according to two officials close to the meetings. They spoke to VOA’s Horn of Africa service on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivities surrounding the discussions.
One official reported “progress” but said eventually the two sides could not bridge their differences.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who was shuttling between the two sides, spoke of “notable progress” made during the talks.
“There are important convergences on some major principles and specific modalities; this constitutes notable progress,” he said.
“Our goal as Turkey is and continues to be reconciling existing concerns and bridging the gaps in a manner that will benefit not only Somalia and Ethiopia but also the region as a whole. We believe that a collaborative and constructive solution is within our reach.”
Fidan said the two sides will reconvene in Ankara on September 17 for a third round “with the hope of successfully concluding the process.”
The foreign ministers of Somalia, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, and Ethiopia, Taye Atske Selassie, led their respective delegations and thanked Turkey for the initiative to bring the two nations together.
The key sticking points remain unresolved despite the optimistic tone, officials said.
Somalia wants Ethiopia to officially commit to the cancellation of the MOU, while Ethiopia wanted Somalia to agree to sea access, the sources said.
According to an official close to the talks, the “language to withdraw the MOU and language of modalities to access the sea,” was the main sticking point.
Ahead of this latest round of talks, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Ahmed to urge reconciliation.
