Talks between delegations from Somalia and Ethiopia held in Ankara have concluded without reaching an agreement on the issues under discussion. The negotiations, which were facilitated by Turkey, ended without significant progress on Monday evening , and both sides remain at an impasse.
The discussions, which took place over several hours, failed to resolve key points of contention. According to Diplomats who are present at the talks and who spoke to Mustaqbal, Somalia has maintained its stance that Ethiopia must first address a contentious agreement made with the Somaliland Administration, which Somalia views as a breach of its sovereignty. The Somali delegation has insisted that Ethiopia must withdraw from this agreement and issue an apology before any meaningful dialogue can proceed.
Ethiopia, on the other hand, has not agreed to these conditions, leading to the breakdown of the talks. Reports indicate that Ethiopia has resisted calls to withdraw from the memorandum with Somaliland, while Somalia has firmly rejected any negotiation without this precondition being met.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, has been actively involved in trying to mediate the conflict, urging Ethiopia to find a solution that would allow for the resumption of talks. However, as of now, no breakthrough has been achieved. The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not disclosed further details about the discussions or the specific conditions that remain unresolved.
The next round of talks is scheduled for August 13, with hopes that continued diplomatic efforts by Turkey might lead to a resolution.
