Mogadishu: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali arrived in Somalia for a significant bilateral meeting with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, marking his first visit since the Ankara Declaration's signing in December. The visit is part of efforts to address critical issues at both bilateral and regional levels as relations between the two nations show signs of improvement.

According to Anadolu Agency, the two leaders reiterated their commitment to promoting peace and security and deepening relations for the benefit of their countries and the broader Horn of Africa region. Last week, delegations from Ethiopia and Somalia, led by their respective foreign ministers, met in Turkey's capital for initial technical talks based on the Ankara Declaration framework.

Ethiopia, with nearly 120 million inhabitants, is the world's most populous landlocked nation, which significantly hampers its maritime trade capabilities. The country lost its Red Sea ports in the early 1990s following Eritrea's independence, which it gained in 1993 after a prolonged war. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy, in October 2023, emphasized that access to the Red Sea is "an existential matter" for Ethiopia, proposing the use of force to overcome the nation's "geographic prison."

The tension between Ethiopia and Somalia further intensified in January 2024 when Ethiopia made an agreement with Somaliland, a self-declared independent region of Somalia, to use the Red Sea port of Berbera. Mogadishu saw this move as a threat to its sovereignty, rejecting the deal as it gives Ethiopia rights to build a port in Somaliland in exchange for recognition. This agreement led to the resignation of Somaliland's defense minister, Abdiqani Mohamud Aateeye, who claimed Ethiopia was taking Somaliland's land.

Trkiye has been instrumental in mediating between Ethiopia and Somalia. The first of three negotiation rounds mediated by Trkiye took place in Ankara on July 1, involving Ethiopian and Somali foreign ministers. Turkish officials facilitated further diplomatic exchanges through "shuttle diplomacy" under Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's coordination. Ultimately, Ethiopia and Somalia signed the Ankara Declaration on December 11, announced by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with a goal to finalize an agreement within four months that respects Somalia's territorial integrity while providing Ethiopia access to the Red Sea.