Ethiopia and Somalia have reached an agreement to end their long-standing dispute over Ethiopia’s plans to develop a port in the breakaway region of Somaliland. 

The resolution was achieved during negotiations held in Turkey, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan mediating the talks.

President Erdogan hailed the “historic agreement,” emphasizing its potential to secure landlocked Ethiopia’s access to the sea while fostering regional stability. 

At a press conference following the talks, Erdogan stood alongside Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who reaffirmed their commitment to respecting each other’s sovereignty.

The dispute arose in January when Ethiopia signed a maritime agreement with Somaliland, a self-declared republic that Somalia continues to claim as part of its territory. The deal sparked tensions and raised fears of a broader regional conflict, particularly as Egypt, angered by Ethiopia’s construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the River Nile, has been backing Somalia in the dispute.