Somalia has accused neighbouring Ethiopia of delivering weapons to the northeastern Puntland region, which earlier this year declared itself independent in defiance of the central government.
Relations between Ethiopia and Somalia have long been strained, with Somalia’s fragile structure of federal states hampering the central government’s ability to combat the insurgency led by Al-Shabaab.
Tensions between the two Horn of Africa nations escalated in January, when Addis Ababa struck a deal with Somaliland, another northern region of Somalia that broke away in 1991. The agreement grants Ethiopia access to the sea, a critical need for the landlocked country.
In a statement on Friday, Somalia’s foreign ministry condemned what it described as “unauthorised arms shipments” from Ethiopia to Puntland, accusing its neighbour of violating Somalia’s sovereignty and threatening the stability of the region.
“Documented evidence confirms the arrival of two lorries transporting weapons from Ethiopia to Puntland region of Somalia, executed without any diplomatic engagement or clearance.”
“This activity constitutes a grave infringement on Somalia’s sovereignty and poses serious implications for national and regional security,” the statement read. Somalia’s government called for an immediate halt to the arms transfers and urged international partners to support peace efforts in the Horn of Africa.
Puntland, which has operated as a semi-autonomous region since 1998, declared its independence earlier this year following a dispute with the central government over constitutional reforms. Puntland lies between Ethiopia and Somaliland, the latter of which has leased part of its coastline to Ethiopia for a naval base and commercial port under the January agreement.
Somalia’s central government, which does not recognise Somaliland’s independence, fears that the deal could undermine its sovereignty. As a result, there are concerns that thousands of Ethiopian troops currently deployed in Somalia to combat Al-Shabaab may have to withdraw.
In August, Somalia signed a military agreement with Egypt, Ethiopia’s regional rival, which has expressed interest in joining the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia by 2025. Meanwhile, Turkey has been mediating between Somalia and Ethiopia since July in an attempt to resolve their disagreements. However, two rounds of negotiations in Ankara have failed to yield any breakthroughs, and a third round, planned for last week, was cancelled without explanation.
Ethiopia’s foreign ministry has yet to respond to Somalia’s accusations or comment on the arms shipments.