By Horn Africa News
Mogadishu – The Federal Government of Somalia has thwarted a serious plan by the Ethiopian government aimed at gaining indirect access to Somali waters under the guise of a peacekeeping mission.
Somalia’s Minister of Defense, Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, revealed that the Somali government firmly rejected an invitation to participate in a planned military exercise off the Somali coast, which would have included Ethiopian naval forces. The minister stated that the decision was made due to the potential threat posed by landlocked countries involved in territorial disputes with Somalia.
Although Minister Fiqi did not explicitly name Ethiopia, his remarks were widely interpreted as a direct reference to the country — the only landlocked nation in the region that currently has a tense dispute with Somalia. Ethiopia is also a member of the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF), a regional military alliance.
This development comes at a time when Ethiopia has been taking both military and diplomatic steps in an attempt to gain either direct or indirect access to the sea, particularly Somalia’s coastline. The Addis Ababa government has previously expressed its desire to obtain a seaport under its control — a move Somalia has vehemently opposed.
Ethiopia has also been accused of repeatedly using political and military strategies to exert influence over the maritime corridors of the Horn of Africa. Most recently, attention has focused on its growing interest in the Somali and Eritrean coastlines.
Somalia’s decision is being hailed as a bold and firm stance in defense of its maritime sovereignty, especially at a time when external interference from neighboring countries is on the rise.
