Somalia Expresses Worries About Reported Weapons Transfers from Ethiopia

Somalia’s security faces peril from illegal arms trafficking, warns the nation’s foreign minister.

(Mustafa Çağlayan – Anadolu Agency)

MOGADISHU, Somalia – On Sunday, Somalia voiced fresh anxiety over alleged illegal weapon deliveries from Ethiopia, casting a shadow over the Horn of Africa.

During a press briefing in Mogadishu, Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi denounced the alleged arms deliveries as a danger to the country’s safety. He appealed to Ethiopia for adherence to current pacts and commended Türkiye’s diplomatic role in easing tensions between the countries.

An earlier announcement from the Somali Foreign Ministry accused Ethiopia of dispatching unauthorized armament to Northeastern State, a semi-independent territory in Somalia’s northeast.

This statement asserted that there is verified proof of two trucks carrying armaments from Ethiopia to Northeastern State, executed without any official communication or consent.

The statement emphasized that this action severely breaches Somalia’s sovereignty and carries severe repercussions for security on both national and regional scales.

The discord is further heightened by disputed maritime access agreements between Ethiopia and North Western State of Somalia, an autonomous entity.

Yet Türkiye has actively engaged in curbing the discord between Somalia and Ethiopia.

The UN expressed appreciation for Türkiye’s diplomatic interventions, noting several negotiations facilitated by Türkiye during July and August.

Edited by: Ali Musa

Axadle international–Monitoring