In a televised speech, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed warned against any country planning to invade Ethiopia, stating that such nations should “think 10 times” before acting. He assured that Ethiopia is fully prepared to defend itself from any threats.

Although Abiy did not mention specific countries, his statement follows increasing tensions with Somalia and Egypt. These nations recently signed a defense pact, escalating the situation after Egyptian aircraft delivered weapons and military equipment to Somalia last month.

Tensions have been growing since Ethiopia signed an agreement with Somaliland to build a naval base on the Red Sea, which Somalia criticized as a violation of its sovereignty. In response, Egypt plans to send 5,000 troops to Somalia as part of an African Union peacekeeping mission, while Somalia has announced plans to remove Ethiopian troops from its territory next year.

Abiy emphasized that Ethiopia has no desire to start a conflict but made it clear the country is capable of defending its borders. He pointed out that Ethiopia has a history of successfully repelling invasions and remains committed to protecting its sovereignty.