Tuesday 16 Feb 2026 {HMC} Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state and becoming the only country to do so benefits neither Somalia nor the region, Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday.

“I would like to reiterate that Israel’s recognition of Somaliland would benefit neither Somaliland nor the Horn of Africa,” Erdogan told a joint presser with Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa.

Erdogan said the region’s countries should develop solutions to the regional problems, urging that the Horn of Africa should not to be turned into “an arena of struggle for foreign powers.”

He underlined that Türkiye attaches importance to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states in the region, and does not want new conflicts and suffering to be added to a geography that has already endured significant turmoil.

Referring to Türkiye’s mediation efforts between Ethiopia and Somalia under the Ankara Process, Erdogan thanked both sides for their constructive stance.

“Once stability is achieved, we see no obstacle to the Horn of Africa attaining a position that attracts attention with its economic opportunities,” said the Turkish leader.

Bilateral relations

As for bilateral relations, Erdogan said it is a “source of pride” that more than 200 Turkish companies, with investments amounting to $2.6 billion, are supporting the employment of approximately 20,000 people in Ethiopia.

He added that Turkish contracting firms have undertaken 15 projects in Ethiopia, including in railways, transportation, factories, tourism facilities and energy transmission lines, voicing hope that cooperation would further increase.

“We are pleased to be the second-largest investor in Ethiopia,” he said.

Describing Ethiopia as a brotherly country and a key actor on the African continent with its strategic location and political, economic and cultural weight, Erdogan said Türkiye’s first embassy in sub-Saharan Africa was opened in Addis Ababa in 1926, placing the city at the heart of relations with the continent.

He said the coincidence of his visit with the 100th anniversary of the embassy’s opening is a separate source of pride.

Expressing pleasure in visiting Addis Ababa after an 11-year interval, Erdogan thanked Abiy and Ethiopian authorities for their warm hospitality.

Cultural ties

Highlighting the importance of centuries-old ties with the Ethiopian people, Erdogan said Ethiopia holds invaluable significance in terms of Islamic culture.

He said restoration of the Nejashi Tomb and Mosque, known as the first Muslim settlement in Africa, with the support of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), not only preserved an important cultural heritage of African history but also strengthened longstanding bonds of friendship between the two nations.

Erdogan said Türkiye would continue to build cultural bridges through the activities of the Maarif Foundation in the field of education, as well as through TIKA’s projects in Ethiopia.

“On the basis of equal partnership and mutual understanding, we will always stand by the good people of this sincere geography,” Erdogan said.

Mutual agreements

Following the one-on-one and interdelegation meetings, the sides proceeded to a signing ceremony for various bilateral agreements.

At the ceremony, the “Minutes of the 9th Türkiye-Ethiopia Joint Economic Commission on Economy, Trade and Technical Cooperation” were signed by Türkiye’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos.

An MoU on cooperation in energy between the Turkish Energy and Natural Resources MInistry and the Ethiopian Water and Energy Ministry was also signed by Bayraktar and Ethiopian Water and Energy Minister Habtamu Itefa.

Following the signing and the news conference at the National Palace, Erdogan gifted Türkiye’s homegrown electric car Togg to the Ethiopian premier.

He also congratulated Ethiopia’s Muslim community on the holy month of Ramadan.

SOURCE AA

Talaado 16 Feb 2026 {HMC} The African Union Commission, under the leadership of H.E. Amb. Selma Malika Haddadi, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, today hosted H.E. Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, for the Sixth AU UN High Level Strategic Dialogue on Sustainable Development at the African Union Commission Headquarters in Addis Ababa.

The Dialogue built on the High-Level engagement held on 10 November 2025 and provided a strategic platform to advance AU-UN engagement, cooperation and coordination in support of Africa’s priorities, particularly the implementation of Agenda 2063 under the Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan (STYIP).

The Dialogue was attended by senior leadership of the African Union Commission, including Commissioners responsible of Political Affairs, Peace and Security; Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment; Infrastructure and Energy; Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development; Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals; and Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, as well as the Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD and the African Union Special Envoy for Women, Peace and Security.

Senior officials of the United Nations system also participated in the Dialogue, including the Special Adviser on Africa to the United Nations Secretary-General, Special Representative to the Secretary General and Head of UNAOU, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, UNDP’s Assistant Administrator and Regional Director for Africa, senior representatives of the UN Development Coordination Office, and other senior UN officials and advisers, among others.

Strategic focus of the Dialogue

Discussions focused on strengthening accountability and accelerating delivery through more effective AU-UN strategic coordination, including in the context of United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/79/329, which calls for strengthened coordination on sustainable development and requests reporting on progress in AU-UN cooperation.

The Dialogue also provided an opportunity for forward-looking reflections on the evolving multilateral environment and its implications for delivery on the ground, with an emphasis on safeguarding Africa’s centrality in agenda-setting, implementation, and impact across the continent.

Key messages highlighted during the Dialogue

The dialogue underscored the importance of a cooperation model that supports delivery across the full development value chain, including policy and strategic frameworks, institutional capacity strengthening, and programmatic implementation.

In this regard, the Commission highlighted the importance of clear prioritisation, stronger accountability arrangements, and results-oriented coordination mechanisms.

The Commission further emphasised the role of existing AU–UN coordination platforms, including the High-Level Strategic Dialogue and the College-to-College mechanism, as part of a broader architecture of strategic engagement reinforced at leadership level, including the recent high-level meeting between the His Excellency Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and His Excellency António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on the margins of the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.

Together, these engagements contribute to promoting coherence, predictability, and measurable progress in support of Africa’s continental priorities under the Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan (STYIP).

Next steps

As part of the way forward, the African Union Commission indicated its intention to pursue a structured 2026 coordination cycle to strengthen strategic guidance, mid-year monitoring, and end-of-year consolidation and reporting, in line with the Dialogue’s focus on accountability and delivery.

The Commission also noted the importance of continued technical work through the College-to-College mechanism during 2026 to support prioritisation, monitoring and alignment, including in relation to the reporting processes envisaged under resolution A/RES/79/329.

The African Union Commission expresses appreciation to the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations for the engagement and reiterates its commitment to strengthening the AU-UN partnership in a manner that advances Africa-centred delivery and tangible impact for the people of Africa.

Tuesday 17 Feb 2026 {HMC} Somalia is set to begin the issuance of the East African Community (EAC) passport to its citizens, joining other member states using the regional travel document.

Somalia’s Ambassador to Tanzania and Permanent Representative to the East African Community, Ilyas Ali Hassan, handed over the official approved EAC passport design features to Somalia’s Interior Minister General Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail “Fartaag” and the Director General of the Immigration and Citizenship Agency, Mustafa Sheikh Ahmed Dhuhulow, in Tanzania on Tuesday.

The development represents a key diplomatic milestone for Somalia and is expected to strengthen regional integration and facilitate the free movement of Somali citizens within in the East African region.

Somalia received official authorisation to print the East African Community passport in December 2025, prior to this week’s issuance of the approved design features.

The EAC passport was first introduced at the 17th Ordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State on March 2, 2016, where leaders launched the East African e-Passport in three categories – Diplomatic, Service and Ordinary.