Somalia accused Ethiopia of smuggling weapons on Tuesday amid fears that arms going into the conflict-riven Horn of Africa nation could end up in the hands of Islamist militants. The neighbours traded barbs a day after an Egyptian warship unloaded heavy weaponry in Somalia's capital Mogadishu,

Hargeisa said Egypt’s decision to send Somalia a second cache of weaponry will jeopardise the security of a region already facing complex security challenges, calling for an Immediate action to avert a broader conflict and maintain the region’s fragile stability.

Ethiopia currently has 3,000 troops in Somalia as part of an African Union force supporting the government. There is now a plan for up to 5,000 Egyptian soldiers to join a new-look AU force at the end of the year, with another 5,000 reportedly to be deployed separately.

An Egyptian warship has delivered a second major cache of weaponry to Somalia including anti-aircraft guns and artillery, port and military officials said on Monday, in a move likely to stoke further friction between the two countries and Ethiopia.

The Egyptian government has confirmed sending arms shipments to Somalia amid regional tension over Ethiopia’s controversial deal with the self-declared republic of Somaliland. Ethiopia agreed to recognize Somaliland in return for the lease of 20 kilometers of sea to Ethiopia,

Ethiopia's foreign minister has warned that ammunition supplied to Somalia could exacerbate conflict and be diverted to terrorists, Ethiopia's state news agency reported on Tuesday. His statement came a day after an Egyptian warship unloaded heavy weaponry in the capital Mogadishu,