Ethiopia has warned Somalia about the recent arms shipment deal with Egypt, warning that the recent supply of ammunition may complicate efforts to resolve potential conflicts in the region.
In a statement published by Ethiopia's state news on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Taye Astke Selassie said that the supply of ammunition by external forces would further destabilise the fragile security in the region.
According to him, the ammunition supply by external forces would end up in the hands of terrorists if things weren't resolved peacefully.
The minister made the statement a day after an Egyptian warship was seen unloading heavy weaponry in Mogadishu.
Ammunition arrived in Mogadishu on Sunday, the second cache of military equipment sent by Egypt as part of their defense pact and military cooperation protocol. Ethiopia's government has previously stated that it cannot remain inactive while "other actors" are taking actions to destabilize the region.
Nasra Bashir Ali, an official at Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre's office, posted a photo on her X account of Defence Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur watching as the ship was being unloaded.
In August, Egypt and Somalia signed a defence pact following Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's visit to Cairo, where he met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Ethiopia currently has around 3,000 soldiers stationed in Somalia as part of an African Union peacekeeping mission (ATMIS) fighting Islamist insurgents. An estimated 5,000-7,000 troops are also deployed in other regions under a bilateral agreement.
Commenting on this development, Minister, highlighted Ethiopia's continued efforts in fighting terrorism and stressed that any post ATMIS arrangement should be decided after taking the necessary time to deliberate on all aspects of the mission, including its mandate, size, financing and coordination.
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