Mogadishu, Somalia – The Somali government has defended its recent security agreement with Egypt, asserting that it is akin to existing partnerships with the United States, Turkey, the European Union, and Gulf nations.
In a press conference, Somali National Security Adviser Hussein Sheikh Ali confirmed that Egyptian forces could potentially participate in the upcoming African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which is scheduled to replace the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) by January 2025. Ali emphasized that any decision regarding Egypt’s involvement would be solely at the discretion of the Somali government.
The new mission aims to support Somalia’s security forces and safeguard African Union personnel. Egypt has already delivered a significant cache of weaponry to Somalia as part of their security agreement, a move that has drawn criticism from neighboring Ethiopia.
Both Egypt and Djibouti have offered their support for the new African Union mission, a development welcomed by Somalia as it seeks to stabilize the country.
Meanwhile, tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia continue to escalate. Somali Defense Minister Abdukhadir Mohamed Noor has reiterated that Ethiopian forces would not be allowed to participate in the upcoming African Union mission unless Ethiopia withdraws from a controversial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Somaliland. The MoU grants Ethiopia leasing rights to the Red Sea coastline in the breakaway region, allowing Ethiopia to build a naval base in return for diplomatic recognition.
Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi accused the Ethiopian government of using counterterrorism as a pretext to annex Somali territory. Speaking at the United Nations Security Council, Fiqi alleged that Somalia had intercepted illegal arms shipments from Ethiopia intended to fuel local conflicts, describing these actions as a “blatant violation” of Somalia’s sovereignty
