Agreement
Ethiopia-Somaliland Memorandum of Understanding, 2024
A port-access deal with Ethiopia, reportedly including a path to recognition, triggered a regional diplomatic crisis.
What happened
On 1 January 2024, Ethiopia and Somaliland signed a coastline-lease MOU reportedly including a path to recognition, drawing regional condemnation.[1]
A December 2024 Ankara agreement saw Ethiopia recognize Somali sovereignty while seeking sea access, but subsequent talks collapsed in February 2025.[2]
Sources for this page
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
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1.
Claim: On 1 January 2024, Ethiopia and Somaliland signed a memorandum of understanding under which Somaliland would lease Ethiopia approximately 19 kilometres of Gulf of Aden coastline for 50 years, reportedly including a provision for eventual Ethiopian recognition of Somaliland as an independent state; the deal drew condemnation from Somalia, Eritrea and Egypt, with Somalia recalling its ambassador to Ethiopia and, on 4 April 2024, expelling the Ethiopian ambassador and ordering the closure of two Ethiopian consulates.
- 2024 Ethiopia-Somaliland memorandum of understanding (Wikipedia) link, MOU terms and regional reactions sections. Source record
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2.
Claim: On 11 December 2024, Ethiopia and Somalia signed an agreement in Ankara, mediated by Turkey, under which Ethiopia recognized Somalia's territorial integrity and sovereignty while Somalia acknowledged Ethiopia's interest in seeking sea access through lease arrangements under Somali sovereignty; however, subsequent Turkey-mediated expert-level talks held 2-4 February 2025 collapsed without progress amid continuing tensions over the Ethiopia-Somaliland port deal.
- East Africa: Somalia-Ethiopia Talks Mediated By Türkiye Stall Over Somaliland Port Deal (AllAfrica) link, Ankara agreement and stalled talks sections. Source record