Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Taye Atske Selassie has warned that Egypt’s recent arms shipments to Somalia could worsen security situations in the horn of Africa region.
The warning came during his meeting with UN Undersecretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo in New York on the sidelines of the 79th UN General Assembly session, the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign affairs said Tuesday in a statement.
Atske Selassie warned that the “supply of ammunition by external forces would further exacerbate the fragile security and would end up in the hands of terrorists.”
These remarks come just a day after reports of a significant Egyptian military aid shipment arriving in Mogadishu, described as the largest since the UN lifted its arms embargo on Somalia in December 2023.
The shipment reportedly included heavy artillery, anti-tank weapons, and armored vehicles as part of a bilateral defense pact signed between Egypt and Somalia in August 2024.
Somaliland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, “We are deeply alarmed by the transfer of these weapons, particularly as the Mogadishu administration lacks the capacity to effectively manage or safeguard such a significant military cache.”
This increased military cooperation between Egypt and Somalia occurs against a backdrop of tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia, following Ethiopia’s recent memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Somaliland regarding port access.
MG/as/APA