General Birhanu Jula: Ethiopia did not ship weapons to Somalia

ADDIS ABABA - Ethiopia has dismissed claims that it shipped weapons to Somalia, with the country's army chief Field Marshal Berhanu Jula terming the allegations as 'absurdity' and 'inaccurate' even as the Horn of Africa nation tries to embrace reconciliation.

Somalia and Ethiopia are at loggerheads following an agreement between Ethiopia and Somaliland, which if implemented, would see Somalia losing 20 kilometers of the Red Sea in exchange for recognition of Somaliland as a sovereign state.

The actions by Ethiopia seeking access to the sea have built tensions in the Horn of Africa, with Somalia courting Egypt for protection of its territorial integrity and sovereignty. Egypt, which is also in conflict with Ethiopia, signed a defense pact with Somalia.

And Gen. Jula denies allegations of unauthorized arms shipments to Somalia in a recent interview with local media. He addressed accusations made by Somalia, stating, "We did not ship arms. Even if we had, it would not be something to be ashamed of."

These comments follow statements made by Somalia’s Foreign Minister, Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, who claimed Ethiopia had made unauthorized arms deliveries to certain regions of Somalia and suggested that Somalia might support Ethiopian rebels.

In response, Berhanu warned, "If the rhetoric of interference and inciting civil war continues, we will not only ship arms. We will also take other actions as necessary." Ethiopia is a major security stakeholder in Somalia.

In response to the tensions, Somalia has ruled out the participation of Ethiopia in the upcoming African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) which replaces the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) in January 2025.

Since 2007, Ethiopian troops have been integral in the fight against Al-Shabaab militants who control large swathes of rural central and southern regions. The standoff with Ethiopia may not end soon after talks initiated by Turkey in Ankara collapsed.

GAROWE ONLINE