Egypt sends military aid batch to Somalia amid tensions with Ethiopia
3 Min Read
Two diplomats and a senior Somali official tell Reuters that two Egyptian planes landed in Mogadishu Tuesday carrying weapons and ammunition.
-
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi gestures during a joint press conference on October 25, 2023. (AP)
Egypt on Tuesday sent Somalia its first batch of military aid in four decades, Reuters reported, citing three diplomatic and Somali government sources, in a move that is expected to exacerbate tensions between the two nations and Ethiopia.
Egypt and Somalia have strengthened their ties this year following Ethiopia's signing of a preliminary agreement with the breakaway region of Somaliland, which involves leasing coastal land in exchange for potential recognition of Somaliland's independence from Somalia.
The government in Mogadishu has denounced the deal as an attack on its sovereignty and vowed to thwart it by any means necessary, expelling Ethiopia's ambassador and recalling its own to Addis Ababa.
Ethiopia, a landlocked nation, asserts its need for access to the sea, while Mogadishu maintains that Somaliland—which lacks international recognition—remains a part of Somalia.
Egypt, which has been in a long-standing dispute with Ethiopia over the construction of a massive hydroelectric dam on the Nile River, has also condemned the Somaliland agreement.
Earlier this month, Cairo signed a security pact with Mogadishu and has offered to deploy troops as part of a new peacekeeping mission in Somalia.
Somalia has already threatened to expel Ethiopia's up to 10,000 troops, who are there as part of a peacekeeping operation and under bilateral agreements to combat the al-Shabaab terrorist group, if the pact is not rescinded.
Two diplomats and a senior Somali official told Reuters that two Egyptian planes landed in Mogadishu Tuesday carrying weapons and ammunition.
Egypt's offer to contribute troops to a new peacekeeping mission in Somalia, set to launch next year, was disclosed in an African Union communique earlier this month. Cairo has yet to make any public comments on the matter.
Addis Ababa's Foreign Affairs Ministry states that the country "cannot stand idle while other actors are taking measures to destabilise the region," emphasizing Ethiopia's longstanding efforts to promote peace and security in Somalia and the broader region, including engaging in discussions to resolve disputes with Somalia.
"Instead of pursuing these efforts for peace, the Government of Somalia is colluding with external actors aiming to destabilise the region," the statement read, without directly naming Egypt or referencing any arms deliveries to Somalia.
Somalia refuses talks with Ethiopia until sovereignty recognized
Somalia refuses to negotiate with Ethiopia until it recognizes it as an independent and sovereign state, Somalian President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said on Saturday.
"We will not negotiate with Ethiopia on any issue until it recognizes our full sovereignty," Sheikh Mohamud said during a press conference, the SONNA news agency reported.
Sheikh Mohamud stressed that Addis Ababa's non-recognition of Somalian sovereignty led to the "recent breakdown of negotiations" in Ankara.
The leader's statements came amid the second round of negotiations between the two countries held in the Turkish capital and the third round is expected on September 17.
