Somalia has firmly opposed Ethiopia’s request to join an upcoming multinational naval exercise in its territorial waters, accusing the landlocked country of attempting to infringe on its sovereignty and violate international maritime law.

The rejection was announced by Somalia’s Defence Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, who confirmed that a formal objection was issued during a recent gathering of East African foreign ministers in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia had asked to participate in the drills as part of the African Union-led peacekeeping mission known as AUSSOM.

“We cannot allow a landlocked nation to operate in our waters. Somalia maintains full sovereignty over its land, sea, and airspace. Any unauthorised involvement by Ethiopia in maritime drills violates international maritime law and our national regulations,” said Ahmed.

Ethiopia made the proposal during the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) summit held in Mogadishu, prompting Somali officials to interpret the move as part of a broader strategy by Ethiopia to establish a presence in regional waters.

These fears have intensified since Ethiopia entered into a contentious agreement with Somaliland at the beginning of the year.

On January 1, 2024, Addis Ababa signed a memorandum of understanding with the self-declared independent region, allowing Ethiopia access to a 20-kilometre stretch of coastline near Berbera to set up a naval base.

In exchange, Ethiopia indicated it might recognise Somaliland as an independent state.

The Somali government viewed the move as a serious breach of its sovereignty and reacted by recalling its ambassador from Ethiopia and expelling Ethiopia’s envoy from Mogadishu.

The Somali Parliament later invalidated the agreement, with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud describing it as “an act of aggression.”

Speaking on Ethiopia’s request to participate in the naval drills, Ahmed reiterated Somalia’s position, saying, “There is no precedent or legal framework that allows this kind of involvement.”

Despite losing access to the sea after Eritrea’s independence in 1993, Ethiopia has sought alternative maritime access through deals with neighbouring coastal states like Djibouti, Sudan, and now Somaliland.

However, Somali leaders have repeatedly raised concerns about these arrangements, saying they bypass Somalia’s authority and international protocols.

The latest refusal adds to the escalating diplomatic standoff between the two countries, revealing the fragility of regional cooperation amid unresolved territorial disputes.