Somalia accuses Ethiopia of shipping 'illegal' arms to semi-autonomous region

The Somali government on Friday accused Ethiopia of sending an "unauthorized shipment of arms and ammunition" to Somalia's semiautonomous region of Puntland.

Somalia said it strongly condemned the move. In a statement, Somalia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs alleged that Ethiopia transported two lorries carrying weapons via Ethiopian territory to the Puntland region.

The statement did not say when the weapons were delivered to Puntland.

"This action constitutes a grave infringement on Somalia's sovereignty and poses serious implications for national and regional security," the statement reads.

Somalia said the shipment was "executed without any diplomatic engagement or clearance."

There has been no official response from Ethiopia. VOA's Horn of Africa Service attempted to contact officials at Ethiopia's Foreign Affairs Ministry but so far requests for comment have not received a reply.

Ethiopia and Somalia have been in a tense diplomatic dispute since the beginning of this year following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU, between Addis Ababa and the self-declared republic of Somaliland. Somaliland will get recognition from landlocked Ethiopia in return for the leasing of 20 kilometers of seafront, according to Somaliland officials. Somalia sees the MOU as an infringement on its sovereignty.

Without giving a specific date, Somalia also alleged Ethiopia shipped weapons via an aircraft to Baidoa in Somalia's southwest region.

"Such recurrent activities indicate an ongoing disregard for Somalia's sovereignty," it said, adding that "Somalia demands immediate cessation of these transgressions by Ethiopia."

On July 16, the Somali government reported that its security forces had seized two truckloads of weapons brought over the border from Ethiopia by "illegal weapons traders." Somalia said some of the weapons fell into the hands of armed militias after the government forces escorting them were ambushed.

On July 26, Ethiopia issued a statement responding to Somalia's statement about the weapons. Its Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the accusations by Somalia were "baseless."

Ethiopia, which has thousands of troops in Somalia to help it fight against an Islamist insurgency, said it has been "sacrificing in the service of peace and stability of the brotherly people of Somalia for more than three decades."

Ethiopia called for cooperation between regional countries to fight the trafficking of illegal weapons.

"Ethiopia is deeply concerned about the proliferation of trafficking of small arms and light weapons in the Horn of Africa. As the region is challenged by ongoing conflicts, unchecked coastal lines, as well as unsecured borders, it is imperative for countries of the region to coordinate their efforts in fighting such crimes," the statement said.

"Ethiopia would like to reiterate its steadfastness in fighting terrorism and proliferation of illegal trafficking of small arms, light weapons and improvised explosive devices," the statement continued.

Two rounds of talks mediated by Turkey aimed at ending the dispute concluded without tangible results. A third round of meetings in Ankara that was scheduled to take place this week was postponed as it coincides with the preparation of the countries' diplomats for the U.N. General Assembly.

This story originated in VOA's Horn of Africa Service.