(MENAFN) Somalia has turned down a proposal from Ethiopia to take part in collaborative naval maneuvers within its own territorial waters, due to apprehensions over potential breaches of international maritime regulations and risks to its national sovereignty, according to reports from local media on Monday.

According to reports, Ethiopia signaled its intention to join the naval activities during a recent regional gathering in Addis Ababa.

It also put forward a formal request to deploy naval forces as part of an African Union-supported peacekeeping initiative operating in Somalia.

This initiative, which was introduced at the recent Eastern Africa Standby Force summit held in Mogadishu, is viewed by Somali authorities as an effort by the landlocked nation to gain access to regional maritime zones.

“We do not accept a landlocked country conducting military operations in our waters,” Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi stated, as reported by a news agency.

“Somalia has full control over its land, air and sea. Any move by Ethiopia to participate in unauthorized naval exercises is contrary to international maritime law and Somalia’s national laws,” the minister emphasized.

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