Top Ethiopia militray chief warns of security threat from Egypt’s military presence in Somalia

Ethiopia’s top military commander has raised the alarm over what he termed an escalating national security threat from Egyptian troop deployments in Somalia, comments widely seen as a response to Cairo’s growing military and diplomatic engagement with Mogadishu.

Field Marshal Berhanu Jula, Chief of the Ethiopian National Defence Forces, told lawmakers in Addis Ababa over the weekend that "foreign forces inside Somalia" were operating under the guise of cooperation but carried "strategic intent" that could destabilise Ethiopia.

"The threat is real," Berhanu said, according to Somali outlet Hiiraan.

"There are foreign forces inside Somalia whose strategic intent raises serious concerns for Ethiopia's stability."

Though Berhanu stopped short of naming Egypt, his comments follow reports confirming that Cairo signed a military cooperation agreement with Somalia in August 2024.

That pact includes the deployment of up to 10,000 Egyptian troops—roughly half under the AU's AUSSOM mission and the rest operating under bilateral terms—as well as provisions for arms transfers.

Potential strategic encirclement

Ethiopia views this military arrangement as a potential strategic encirclement, particularly given long-standing tensions with Egypt over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

While Ethiopia defends the dam as a developmental project, Egypt has long feared it could threaten its share of Nile waters.

"Our presence in Somalia has always been about supporting peace and counterterrorism. But the environment is shifting, and we have to reassess what's in our national interest," Berhanu said.

The timing of Egypt's military pact is also significant.

Ethiopia-Somaliland MoU

It comes just months after Ethiopia inked a controversial memorandum of understanding with Somaliland in January 2024, granting it Red Sea port access in exchange for potential recognition—an agreement that Somalia swiftly rejected as illegal and a breach of its sovereignty.

Though Ankara later brokered de-escalation talks between Mogadishu and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia has not withdrawn from the Somaliland deal, while Hargeisa continues to assert its validity.

Somalia, for its part, has defended its partnership with Egypt, stating that the agreement is part of efforts to rebuild its army and enhance regional cooperation.

Other Topics To Read

• Ethiopia
• Ethiopia
• Somalia
• Mogadishu
• Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
• Field Marshal Berhanu Jula
• AUSSOM
• GERD
• Chief of the Ethiopian National Defence Forces
• Egyptian military
• Top Ethiopia militray chief warns of security threat from Egypt’s military presence in Somalia
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Officials insist Egypt's participation in AUSSOM was cleared by the AU and poses no threat to neighbouring countries.