Somalia accuses Ethiopia of arms shipments to Puntland amid Horn of Africa tensions

Tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia have escalated with Somalia accusing its neighbour of arming the northeastern Puntland region which recently declared independence despite central government objections.

This development is the latest in a long history of strained relations between the two nations. Somalia’s fragile federal structure comprised of various states is already vulnerable to instability, weakening its ability to combat the ongoing Al-Shabaab insurgency.

The situation took a turn for the worse in January when Ethiopia leased 20 kilometers of coastline from the breakaway Somaliland region in exchange for recognising its independence. Somalia’s government deemed this agreement illegal, prompting them to expel the Ethiopian ambassador and threaten to remove thousands of Ethiopian troops stationed in the country who are assisting in the fight against Islamist insurgents.

Ethiopia has previously denied interfering in Somalia’s internal affairs, insisting it does not back factions within the country. However, Somalia’s concerns about Ethiopian involvement remain, particularly in regions like Puntland, where instability could have broader implications.

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“Somalia strongly condemns unauthorised arms shipments from Ethiopia to Somalia’s Puntland region, violating our sovereignty and threatening regional security,” the foreign ministry in Mogadishu said on X late on Friday. “We demand an immediate halt and call on international partners to support peace efforts in the Horn of Africa.”

Somaliland is located between the Ethiopian border and Puntland.

The latter, which has been a semi-autonomous part of Somalia since 1998, said in January it would operate as an independent state due to a row with the central government over changes to the constitution.

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In its post on X, the Somali foreign ministry said: “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.”

Somalia strongly condemns unauthorized arms shipments from Ethiopia to Somalia’s Puntland region, violating our sovereignty and threatening regional security. We demand an immediate halt and call on international partners to support peace efforts in the Horn of Africa. #Somalia pic.twitter.com/2PD0sbQ70L

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs 🇸🇴 (@MOFASomalia) September 20, 2024

Meanwhile, as part of its efforts to resolve a dispute between the sides over a deal that Ethiopia agreed to lease a stretch of coastline from Somaliland, Turkey aims to meet separately with Somalia and Ethiopia, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday.

Turkey has so far hosted two rounds of meetings between the East African neighbours in an attempt to repair their relations. A third round of talks that had initially been set to take place in Ankara on Tuesday was cancelled.

Somaliland-Ethiopia pact

Under the January deal, Somaliland, which unilaterally broke away from Somalia in 1991, agreed to lease 20 kilometres (12 miles) of its coast for 50 years to Ethiopia, which wants to set up a naval base and a commercial port.

In return, Somaliland – whose independence is not endorsed by Mogadishu – has said Ethiopia would become the first country in the world to give it formal recognition, although these assertions have not been confirmed by Addis Ababa.

Senior officials in Mogadishu have said this agreement means thousands of Ethiopian soldiers stationed in Somalia to fight Al-Shabaab will now have to leave.

The troops are deployed on Somali territory under a bilateral accord and an agreement with the African Union.

On August 14, Mogadishu signed a military pact with Ethiopia’s rival Egypt, which has offered to join the AU force in Somalia in 2025.

Turkey has been mediating since July between Somalia and Ethiopia in discussions aimed at resolving their differences.

Two rounds of talks in Ankara failed to produce tangible progress and a third round, scheduled for last week, was cancelled without any comment from either the host or the protagonists.