Baledweyne (HAN) March 6th, 2014 – An Ethiopian Military intelligence and security source told HAN & Geeska Afrika Online
that, the Ethiopian military in Central Somalia intercepted an Eritrean attempt to smuggle powerful rockets to the Southern Somalia as well as Somali territory in Ethiopia on a Yemeni commercial small boat off the coast of Puntland and Galmudug regional States of Somalia.
In such a military activities, Eritrean authorities appear to have been responding to international pressure to curb the involvement of Eritrea in activities that threaten regional peace and security violations of the arms embargo. Eritrea’s powerful contacts in Southern Somalia involves weapons and human smuggling operations running through eastern Ports of Central and Southern Somalia. Regional security documents details evidence of Eritrean support to the ONLF, OLF, the Tigrayan People’s Democratic Movement (TPDM), Ginbot 7 and ARDUF, and says Eritrea “hosts the remnants of other Ethiopian opposition groups, such as Arbengnoch, Debub-Hizboch, and Beni Shangul”
The UN Monitoring Group says that the Governments of South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Uganda and Eritrea should take all necessary steps to prevent the use of their ports and airports for activities in connection with technical assistance, training, financial and other aid for military activities in Somalia in violation of Security Council resolutions 733 (1992), 1425 (2002) and 1844 (2008)
For regional stability, Ethiopia’s Military Intelligence are monitoring Eritrean and Yemeni arms-smuggling and terror-financing networks across the Horn of African lines, IGAD2020 regional security sources revealed this week.
The UN reports last week concluded that Eritrea’s behavior should be viewed in the context of its unresolved border dispute with Ethiopia, a legacy of the 1998-2000 war between the two neighbors, and the resulting insecurity felt in Asmara, about it giant neighbor’s intentions.