NAIROBI: Somalia has accused Ethiopia of supplying weapons to its northeastern Puntland region amid growing tensions between the Horn of Africa neighbours.

There is a history of stormy relations between Ethiopia and Somalia a fragile jigsaw of federal states, whose instability weakens the central government`s ability to counter a long-running insurgency by militant group Al Shabaab.

Tensions increased on Jan 1 when Addis Ababa signed a deal with another northern region of S omalia the breakaway territory of Somaliland which gives landlocked Ethiopia access to the ocean.

`Somalia strongly condemns the unauthorised arms shipments from Ethiopia to Somalia`s Puntland region, violating our sovereignty and threatening regional security,` the foreign ministry in Mogadishu said on X late on Friday.

`We demand an immediate halt and call on internationalpartners to support peace efforts in the Horn of Africa.` The Puntland region, which has been a semiautonomous part of Somalia since 1998, said in January it would operate as anindependent state following a row with the central government over changes to the constitution.

In its post on X, the Somali foreign ministry said: `Documented evidence confirms the arrival of two lorries transporting weapons from Ethiopia to Puntland region of Somalia, executed without any diplomatic engagement or clearance.

`This activity constitutes a grave infringement on Somalia`s sovereignty and poses serious implications for national and regional security.` It did not say when the shipment occurred or to whom the weapons were sent.

`Somalia demands an immediate cessation of these transgressions by Ethiopia,` the statement added.

Three locals in Garowe, the capital of Puntland, said they had seen a convoy arrive there on Friday evening, escorted by vehicles of the Puntland security forces. `I had heard talk of an arms delivery from Ethiopia a few days ago,` said one of them, Mohamed Dalel.

`I saw a convoy enter Garowe last night (Friday) made up of two big trucks and several cars, escorted by the Puntland security forces,` he added.-AFP