Somalia has accused Ethiopia of smuggling weapons into the country, escalating tensions between the two Horn of Africa neighbors amid fears that arms could fall into the hands of Islamist militants. The accusation came a day after an Egyptian warship delivered a shipment of heavy weaponry to Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, under a security agreement signed in August. This marks the second such delivery, heightening concerns over regional security and the potential for arms trafficking.
The spat between Somalia and Ethiopia has grown following Ethiopia’s plans to build a port in the self-declared independent region of Somaliland in exchange for potential recognition of its sovereignty. Ethiopia, which has thousands of troops stationed in Somalia to combat the al-Qaeda-linked insurgent group al-Shabaab, has seen its relationship with Mogadishu sour over these plans. Somalia, however, has recently drawn closer to Egypt, a long-time adversary of Ethiopia due to disputes over the Nile River and Ethiopia’s construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Taye Atske Selassie, expressed concern that weapons from “external forces” could exacerbate Somalia’s fragile security situation and fall into the hands of terrorist groups. In response, Somalia’s Foreign Minister, Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, accused Ethiopia of smuggling arms into the country and attempting to divert attention from violations of Somalia’s sovereignty. He claimed these smuggled weapons were being distributed to civilians and militants, though no evidence was provided.
Tensions further intensified last week when Somalia accused Ethiopia of shipping arms to the semi-autonomous state of Puntland. Somalia has warned that it may expel Ethiopian troops from the country by the end of the year if the port agreement with Somaliland is not canceled. Meanwhile, concerns are growing over the potential for al-Shabaab to exploit the influx of weapons, with experts suggesting that the militant group could benefit from the chaotic arms trade. In 2023, al-Shabaab reportedly seized large quantities of weapons by raiding military bases, according to Rashid Abdi, an analyst from the Sahan Research think tank.
The U.N. Security Council lifted a 30-year arms embargo on Somalia in December, raising concerns about the unchecked flow of weapons into the conflict-prone nation. The situation continues to evolve as Somalia navigates complex diplomatic relationships with neighboring countries and grapples with internal threats from al-Shabaab.
