Turkey's Erdogan mediates Somalia-Ethiopia dispute over Somaliland independence

Turkey has previously hosted two rounds of negotiations between the East African neighbours. A third round of talks, initially scheduled for September, was cancelled amid escalating tensions, a sign of the challenges in resolving the rift Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a press conference on the sidelines of the NATO 75th anniversary summit at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, July 11, 2024. AFP Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held separate meetings Wednesday with the leaders of Somalia and Ethiopia in a bid to mediate a simmering dispute between the two East African nations over the breakaway Somaliland region. Somalia’s national broadcaster, SNTV, reported that Mohamud and Erdogan discussed strengthening bilateral ties and setting the stage for a third round of Turkey-mediated talks between Somalia and Ethiopia. Rift over Somaliland The dispute stems from Ethiopia’s plans to build a port in Somaliland, a region that declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but has not gained international recognition.