An Egyptian naval vessel has transported a significant shipment of armaments to Somalia, which includes anti-aircraft artillery and other weaponry, according to statements from port and military officials on Monday. This action is expected to heighten tensions between Somalia and Egypt, as well as with Ethiopia.

This year, the relationship between Egypt and Somalia has strengthened due to their mutual distrust of Ethiopia, leading Cairo to dispatch multiple flights of arms to Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, following the signing of a joint security agreement in August.

Mogadishu expressed its displeasure with Ethiopia after the latter reached a preliminary agreement in January with the self-declared region of Somaliland to lease land for a port, potentially paving the way for Somaliland’s recognition as independent from Somalia.

Egypt has been in conflict with Ethiopia for several years over the construction of a large hydroelectric dam on the Nile River’s headwaters and has criticized the Somaliland agreement.

The unloading of the weapons from the Egyptian warship commenced on Sunday, as reported by a diplomat. Security personnel cordoned off the quayside and adjacent roads on both Sunday and Monday while convoys transported the armaments to a defense ministry facility and nearby military installations, according to accounts from two port workers and two military officials.

Nasra Bashir Ali, an official in the office of Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, shared a photograph on her X account showing Defence Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur observing the unloading of a ship. Egyptian authorities either refrained from commenting or did not respond promptly to inquiries.

Reports from Egyptian media on Sunday indicated that the Egyptian embassy in Mogadishu had advised its citizens against traveling to Somaliland due to the area’s security concerns. Ethiopia currently has approximately 3,000 soldiers in Somalia as part of the African Union peacekeeping mission (ATMIS) combating Islamist militants, with an additional 5,000 to 7,000 troops stationed in other regions under a bilateral agreement.

Somalia has labeled the Somaliland arrangement as a violation of its sovereignty and demands the withdrawal of all Ethiopian troops by the end of the year unless Addis Ababa nullifies the agreement.

Additionally, Egypt has expressed its willingness to send troops for a new peacekeeping initiative in Somalia, as stated by the African Union in July, although Cairo has not publicly addressed the issue. Ethiopia’s government has not yet responded to Reuters’ request for comment but has previously asserted that it cannot remain passive while “other actors” take steps to destabilize the region.