Turkey offers to mediate between Ethiopia, Sudan
- Peace, tranquility and integrity in Ethiopia, which has a strategic location and importance in Africa, are important to us, says Erdoğan. "All countries in the region will be affected by the deterioration of the situation (across the...
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday that Turkey is willing to mediate between Ethiopia and Sudan to resolve a border dispute and to find a peaceful solution to the Tigray conflict in Ethiopia, which has displaced tens of thousands and left millions hungry.
Erdoğan spoke at a joint press conference with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The visit comes amid a widening of the Tigray conflict, which began in November following a political fallout between Abiy and the leaders of the Tigray region that had dominated the Ethiopian government for nearly three decades.
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Thousands have been killed in the nine-month war in Tigray, which has been marked by widespread accusations by ethnic Tigrayans of gang rapes, artificial local famine and mass deportations of Tigrayans by Ethiopian and allied forces.
– Peace, tranquility and integrity in Ethiopia, which has a strategic location and importance in Africa, are important to us, says Erdoğan. “All countries in the region will be affected by the deterioration of the situation (across the Tigray).”
Erdoğan, who hosted General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman al-Burhan, chairman of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council in Ankara last week, said Turkey was also prepared to contribute to a peaceful settlement of a dispute between Ethiopia and Sudan over the Al-Fashaga region.
“We are prepared to make every contribution to a friendly solution to the problem, including mediation,” he said.
Ankara and Addis Ababa have friendly relations and the two leaders promised to increase economic cooperation and trade.
Abiy said the two countries’ relationship was based on “mutual respect and trust”.
On Wednesday, Erdoğan and Abiy oversaw the signing of military agreements, including an agreement on military economic cooperation. Details of the offers were not immediately available.
Northern Ethiopia has been devastated by fighting since November last year when Ahmed sent troops to overthrow the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the region’s then ruling party.
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