EGYPT DEPLOYS MILITARY TO SOMALIA, INCLUDING HARDWARE. (PHOTO).

 Egypt deploys military to Somalia, including hardware

Egypt has sent military personnel and equipment to Somalia under a new bilateral agreement designed to tackle regional instability.

This deployment, which includes 5,000 Egyptian soldiers along with tanks and combat aircraft, aims to bolster security in Mogadishu in light of the planned withdrawal of the African Union (AU) peacekeeping forces from Somalia.

The agreement also includes Egypt contributing an additional 5,000 troops to a new AU military mission set to begin in January 2025.

The move comes amid rising tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia, highlighting the critical need to stabilize the region.

Egypt's involvement in the Somali crisis through military and security support has raised concerns among many observers about its potential geopolitical impact.

The crisis ignited when Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with the self-declared republic of Somaliland to lease part of its coastline in return for Addis Ababa recognising the region’s independence.

Ethiopia plans to build a naval base on the land, with Mogadishu viewing the recognition of Somaliland as a direct violation of its sovereignty.

During his second visit to Cairo this year, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud signed a military cooperation protocol with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on 14 August, accompanied by Sisi’s confirmation of his country’s support for “the unity and sovereignty of Somalia over its territory, and its rejection of any interference in its internal affairs.”

Ethiopian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nebiyu Tedla indicated that the Egypt-Somalia agreement "does not worry Addis Ababa," but stressed the need for "careful deployment" of the upcoming African Union mission in Somalia "to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and unexpected regional tensions".

Egyptian national security expert Major General Mohamed Abdel Wahed told The New Arab that Egypt's moves in the Horn of Africa were “pre-emptive” and designed to protect Egyptian national security in a strategic region which is facing numerous security threats.

These include separatism, cross-border crime, international competition, and tension in the southern Red Sea, “which directly affects the Suez Canal,” he added.