Foreign Affairs Ministers of Somalia and Somaliland have met on the sidelines of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa Ethiopia to kick start talks on the ongoing Tukaraq crisis and Turkey sponsored stalled talks.
Speaking to journalists in the Somaliland capital Hargeisa upon his return from Ethiopia Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Saad Ali Shiire confirmed about the rare meeting.
“We discussed on two issues first to restart stalled talks and the other one was the Tukaraq issue†Shiire said.
On the Tukaraq crisis Shire said both sides agreed to cease hostilities.
“We discuss on how to respect the border issue without resolving to conflict†Shiire said.
“We agreed to observe peace and avoid what could cause conflict†he added.
On January 8 Somaliland troops captured the Puntland administered town of Tukaraq igniting tension between the two.
The Turkey initiated talks halted in late 2015 as Somalia geared into election mood. The Farmaajo administration has yet to pick up where Hassan Sheikh Mohamud left.
Somaliland declared its independence in 1992 after fall of the central government but has remained unrecognized by the international community.