Turkey, Egypt discuss Africa situation as dispute between Ethiopia and Somalia continues

Turkish and Egyptian officials held two rounds of talks on Africa and Libya on Monday, in a sign of growing rapprochement between the two formerly hostile nations and amid tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia.

The Egyptian foreign ministry said on Facebook that the discussions had focused on the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region.

The talks were led by Ihab Awad, Egypt’s assistant foreign minister for African affairs and Elif Ulgen, General Director of Eastern and Southern Africa at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Egyptian foreign ministry said the two sides had reached common ground and understanding on "ways to maintain the security and stability" of the Horn of Africa region, allowing the "restoration of shipping" to normal levels in the Red Sea.

It added that Turkey and Egypt would "strengthen cooperation on multiple levels to achieve their common goals in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea", while supporting Somalia in its efforts to "fight terrorism" and build up its national army.

Regarding Libya, the two countries agreed to continue consultations and exchange views in a way that would "achieve the interests of the brotherly Libyan people".

Egypt and Turkey have backed opposing sides in the Libyan conflict, with Cairo supporting the forces of east-based strongman Khalifa Haftar, and Turkey providing strong support to authorities based in the capital Tripoli.

However, both Turkey and Egypt have provided backing to Somalia, with Ankara signing a landmark defence deal with the Somali government in February under which Turkey would patrol and defend Somali territorial waters.

Egypt has also signed a military cooperation protocol with Somalia, which would see Egyptian troops deployed to the country as part of an African peacekeeping force.

The Egyptian move is widely believed to be directed against Ethiopia, which has accused of Somalia of interfering in its internal affairs following a maritime deal between Addis Ababa and the breakaway state of Somaliland.

Egypt has its own long-running dispute with Ethiopia over the latter’s Great Renaissance Dam on the Nile, which Egypt fears will deprive it of life-giving water.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi visited Turkey last September, meeting his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan following over a decade of hostility.

Erdogan had previously furiously denounced Sisi’s 2013 coup against Egypt’s first democratically elected leader, Mohammed Morsi, and his repression of the Muslim Brotherhood movement.

Earlier this year, there were reports that Turkey could possibly mediate in the dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia.