Azerbaijan ship (Photo : SM)

Borkena

Toronto – In November 2024, the Eritrean government announced that it had seized three unauthorized ships in its territorial waters. The ships were reportedly from Azerbaijan.

Today, Ethiopian news sources reported that the ships were “carrying firearms and explosives for drones.”

Anchor Media, an Ethiopian news outlet based in the United States, reported that the intended destination was the coast of Djibouti. However, it remains unclear whether the ships originated directly from Azerbaijan or another location.

Last month, the Azerbaijani government stated that the ships were en route to the United Arab Emirates via the Suez Canal. They claimed that the vessels entered Eritrean waters due to adverse weather conditions.

Aze, an Azerbaijani news source, reported last month: “On November 7, 2024, the vessels CMS Pahlavan, CMS Igid, and CMS-3, operated by the Azerbaijani branch of Caspian Marine Services B.V. and flying the Azerbaijani state flag, were en route from the Suez Canal to Abu Dhabi (UAE). Due to deteriorating weather conditions, they were forced to enter the territorial waters of Eritrea.”

At the time of writing, the Eritrean government has not released a statement regarding the seizure of the ships’ cargo.

Notably, Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Temesgen Tiruneh, visited Azerbaijan in September 2024.