Somaliland government said it is “deeply alarmed” about the situation
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Toronto – Three days after Hassan Sheikh Mohamud government in Mogadishu made allegations against Ethiopia over “shipment of firearms to Puntland,” Egyptian heavy weaponry including anti-aircraft has arrived in Mogadishu.
The Somaliland government confirmed the development in a press release dated September 23. The government in Hargeisa is concerned that “these weapons could fall into the hands of extremist groups like Al-Shabaab and other active clan militias, further exacerbating violence and instability in the region.”
The statement also called for a preventive action from the international community but did not specify as to what it constitutes. It said “the Government of the Republic of Somaliland calls on the international community to take immediate and proactive steps to address these growing concerns”
BBC Amharic cited what it called Somalia Federal Government senior authority who spoke on condition of anonymity to BBC Somali service as saying the heavy weaponry arrived at Mogadishu port and that the Somalian government will use them. The deliveries include artillery, anti-aircraft missiles and smaller arms – according to the source.
Video footage purportedly showing military convoys in the streets of Mogadishu carrying the delivered weapons on the streets of Mogadishu were circulating on social media.
It is unclear whether the Mogadihsu government is paying for it or if it was a donation. Egypt has a history of financing entities that are hostile to Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian government, at this writing, has not remarked about the situation. Nebiyat Getachew, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, reiterated Ethiopia’s position during a press briefing this week. He is cited as saying “Ethiopia will not passively observe any attempts to destabilize the region as well as to thwart its development efforts.”
Egypt, the seat of the Arab League, will be sending 10,000 troops to Mogadishu once the African peacekeeping mission in Somalia ends in January. According to Somalian news sources, 5,000 Egyptian troops will be deployed as part of a peacekeeping mission that will take over AMISOM. The remaining 5,000 will be deployed based on a bilateral arrangement between Hassan Sheikh Mohammed’s government and the Egyptian government.
There have been reports of Anti Egyptian protests in Puntland and South West Somalia. According to sources, people took to the street in opposition to the North African Arab nation, Egypt.
Apart from Egypt, Eritrea is supporting Hassan Sheik government in Mogadishu. In the past few years, Eritrea trained tens of thousands of Somalian forces.
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The concern about this shipment of multi grade weapons is understandable. The Horn of Africa is awash with all sorts of military hardware already. Egypt’s proliferation of military grade weaponry to the region is not new. It goes back to the early 1960’s; call it attention grabber or some kind of act of intimidating black folks. My question is what does the AU think about this? It is too obvious that Somaliland’s citizens will never accept someone from Mogadishu to tell them how to run their 33 years old self-governance. The leaders of Ethiopia seem to be hell bent in acquiring a port come what may. What I just heard is they have already begun creating a corps of naval force starter with France’s assistance. The officials camping out at Villa Mogadishu are equally committed to recreate the years between 1969 and 1978. Who is going to incarnate Siad Barre and who is going to be the Galmudug’s own son Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke is something to be left to anyone’s imagination. Beside all this wiggling and machination, there is one possibility that has started depriving me of sleep. These connivers may be able to pitch the youth of Somalia against its contemporary in Ethiopia leading to another senseless and destructive bloodshed. If that happens I will be holding both PM Abiy and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud responsible for any loss of lives and property. They can move their jaws all day and all night long calling each other names but they should not even think about leading the current issues into stupid and senseless violence. Don’t you dare, you two!!!! Don’t you dare!!!!
One more development is of a serious concern is the escalation and spread of the conflict in the Middle East. The war has now spread between the terrorist group in Southern Lebanon and Israel. I am being told that there thousands of Ethiopian women who live Lebanon as domestic workers including in the area where the fighting is raging now. Let’s have our daughters and sisters in our thoughts and try to help them in every legal way possible. May The Good Lord Watch Over Them!!!