The African Union (AU) commended Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday for his role in brokering a peace agreement between Somalia and Ethiopia, ending nearly a year of tensions.
The AU welcomed the agreement signed by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, mediated by Erdogan in Ankara.
AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat praised the leaders’ commitment to resolving differences through dialogue.
“This important act of high responsibility by the leaders of Somalia and Ethiopia is highly commendable,” Mahamat stated. He urged both nations to implement the terms of the pact without delay.
Mahamat also extended congratulations to President Erdogan for his role in fostering cooperation between the two East African nations, emphasizing his support for peace and dialogue.
Erdogan hosted the Somali and Ethiopian leaders in Ankara on Wednesday, where they announced the historic pact. “We have taken the first step toward a new beginning based on peace and cooperation,” Erdogan declared at a joint press conference.
The tensions began after Ethiopia’s agreement with Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland on January 1, which allowed the use of the Berbera port, intensifying regional disputes.
The pact signed in Ankara saw both Somalia and Ethiopia reaffirm each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. According to Turkey’African Union Commends Turkey’s Role in Ending Somalia-Ethiopia Crisis
s Communications Directorate, the joint declaration marks a new chapter in regional cooperation.
Both nations committed to leaving past differences behind, pledging to focus on mutual respect, peace, and shared prosperity, as outlined in the Ankara Declaration.
