(MENAFN) Somalia has turned down Ethiopia’s request to take part in joint naval exercises within Somali territorial waters, citing violations of international maritime law and threats to its sovereignty, according to local media reports on Monday.

Ethiopia made the request during a recent regional meeting in Addis Ababa and proposed sending naval personnel under the African Union’s peacekeeping mission in Somalia. The initiative, discussed during the Eastern Africa Standby Force summit in Mogadishu, was viewed by Somali officials as part of Ethiopia’s broader strategy to gain access to regional waters.

“We cannot allow a landlocked country to carry out military activities in our seas,” said Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, as reported by Garowe Online. He emphasized that Somalia maintains full authority over its territory, including land, airspace, and maritime zones, and any unauthorized Ethiopian involvement would violate both international and Somali law.

Tensions over Ethiopia’s ambitions to access the Red Sea have been escalating. A previous controversy erupted after Ethiopia signed a maritime agreement with the self-declared independent region of Somaliland in 2024, which included plans to construct a naval base at Berbera. Somalia, which considers Somaliland part of its sovereign territory, condemned the deal as a hostile act and responded by expelling Ethiopia’s ambassador, shutting down two consulates, and recalling its own envoy from Addis Ababa.

Although the two countries had recently begun mending ties through Turkish-mediated talks in December, tensions remain fragile. During those negotiations, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed agreed to work toward a solution that preserves Somalia’s territorial integrity while addressing Ethiopia’s need for sea access.

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