Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the president of Somalia, and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, his Ethiopian counterpart, are scheduled to meet in Ankara, Turkey, to discuss the ongoing dispute over Somaliland. The meeting was initiated by Ethiopia, according to Somali officials familiar with the matter. If the meeting holds, it will be the first between the two leaders since Addis Ababa signed a controversial maritime agreement with Hargeisa in January. That agreement grants Ethiopia access to a 20-kilometer stretch of Red Sea coastline in exchange for potential recognition of Somaliland’s independence. Somalia, meanwhile, objects to the agreement as it considers Somaliland part of its territory. Somalia has since branded the deal illegal and accused Ethiopia of infringing on its sovereignty, which Addis Ababa denies. The issue has raised concerns about potential conflict in the Horn of Africa region. Previous talks mediated by Turkey to resolve it, however, have failed.
SOURCE: VOA NEWS