ANKARA (SD) -The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Somali Government has provided details on the discussions held in Turkey between delegations representing the governments of Somalia and Ethiopia. These talks addressed the tensions arising from Ethiopia’s maritime agreement with Somaliland.

A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Somalia indicated that the meetings in Turkey were not face-to-face. The ministry emphasized that the Somali delegation took a firm stance on maintaining the country’s unity and sovereignty.

This first round of mediation talks between the Somali and Ethiopian governments has concluded, and a second round of discussions is scheduled for September 2, 2024.

The talks were marked by significant differences in viewpoints, particularly from the Somali government, which reiterated its previous stance that Ethiopia must rescind the illegal MOU and emphasized that there will be no compromise on protecting Somalia’s territorial sovereignty, which is non-negotiable for the Somali government.