Ethiopia Raises Alarm Over Arms to Somalia Amid Regional Tensions

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopia's Foreign Minister Taye Astke Selassie has raised concerns over recent arms shipments to Somalia, cautioning that the ammunition could intensify regional conflicts and potentially fall into the hands of terrorist groups, according to Ethiopia's state news agency on Tuesday.

The statement follows the arrival of an Egyptian warship in Mogadishu, which delivered heavy weaponry, marking the second substantial military aid transfer within a month.

This action comes after Egypt and Somalia signed a security agreement in August, aligning in a move that has heightened tensions with Ethiopia.

Ethiopia, which has deployed thousands of troops in Somalia to combat Al-Qaeda-affiliated insurgents, has recently encountered diplomatic friction with Mogadishu over Somalia's plans to develop a port in the self-declared independent region of Somaliland.

The dispute has pushed Somalia towards a closer relationship with Egypt, already at odds with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project on the Nile, which Egypt perceives as a threat to its water security.

Minister Selassie emphasized the risk of these weapons exacerbating local security, warning that such military aid could inadvertently support terrorist activities in Somalia. No immediate response from Somalia's government to these concerns has been reported.

The United Nations Security Council ended its arms embargo on Somalia in December, after imposing it over three decades ago due to the country's descent into civil war.

This diplomatic and military escalation arises amid Ethiopia's controversial agreement with Somaliland in January, where Ethiopia gained access to a seaport in exchange for recognizing Somaliland's sovereignty, a move that prompted Somalia to threaten the expulsion of Ethiopian peacekeeping forces by year-end if the deal wasn't nullified.

The situation underscores the complex web of alliances and conflicts in the Horn of Africa, with implications for regional stability and international relations.

GAROWE ONLINE