Recent reports and images have emerged showing Egyptian soldiers, equipment, and military aircraft arriving in Somalia.
This development comes amid rising regional tensions, particularly following Ethiopia’s agreement with the self-governing Somaliland regarding port communications, signed in Addis Ababa in January 2024.
In January, Ethiopia signed a 20-kilometer seaport agreement with Somaliland in Addis Ababa, further complicating relations with Somalia.
The Ethiopia-Somaliland port agreement led to a breakdown in diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and Somalia, prompting Somalia to seek new military alliances with Egypt and Turkey.
The ongoing construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Africa’s largest dam on the Nile River, has fueled Egypt’s concerns over its water share.
In response, Egypt has leveraged its relationship with Somalia, signing military agreements that include the deployment of troops.
Under these agreements, Egypt has committed to sending 10,000 soldiers to Somalia, with plans to station them in strategic border areas between Ethiopia and Somalia, specifically in Gedo, Hiran, and Bai Bakol.
This deployment follows a defense agreement signed in Cairo two weeks ago by Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi.
As part of this agreement, two Egyptian C-130 military aircraft recently landed at Aden Adde International Airport, according to Somalia media reports.
The presence of Egyptian forces in Somalia is seen as a strategic maneuver amid ongoing disputes over the GERD and broader interests in the Horn of Africa.
Puntland-based media outlet Garowe Online noted that this military cooperation is also tied to the African Union Support Mission in Somalia (AUSM), which is set to replace the African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) by 2025.
During his weekly press conference, Ambassador Nebiyu Tedla, spokesperson for Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, addressed concerns about the military agreements between Somalia, Egypt, and Turkey.
When asked whether these agreements pose a threat to Ethiopia, Ambassador Tedla stated that Somalia, as a sovereign nation, has the right to enter into agreements with any country it chooses.
“Somalia is a sovereign country; it can make any kind of agreement with whomever it wishes. The military agreement it made with Egypt does not worry Ethiopia,” he affirmed.
Ambassador Nebiyu made it clear that Ethiopia remains committed to supporting Somalia but will take any necessary measures if developments in Somalia are found to threaten Ethiopia’s national security and interests.
He also stressed that Ethiopia would work to ensure that the new peacekeeping mission in Somalia does not create additional tensions in the region.
Tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia have escalated since Ethiopia signed an agreement with Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, to secure access to a seaport.
In response, Turkey has actively worked to mediate between the two countries, hosting the first and second round of direct talks between the Ethiopian and Somali foreign ministers in June and August of this year.
During the initial negotiations in Ankara, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Taye Atsekeselasie and Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to discuss potential solutions.
The talks aimed to address the concerns of both nations and find a mutually acceptable resolution but both Ankara based negotiations ended without agreements and the two countries agreed to meet in September.
