Egypt inches closer to troop deployment in Somalia amid regional tension

The government of Egypt is in the final stages of deploying troops to Somalia under the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), following a series of discussions between officials from both countries.

The decision follows a meeting between Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Badr Abdelatty, and Somalia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Abdelsalam Abdi Ali, held on the sidelines of the Fifth Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development in Cairo.

The two ministers discussed the progress of ongoing arrangements for the deployment and reviewed steps already taken toward implementing the plan.

In a statement, Badr reaffirmed Cairo’s commitment to supporting efforts that strengthen peace and stability in Somalia and across the Horn of Africa.

He expressed optimism that the required procedures for the deployment would be completed soon.

“We reaffirm Cairo’s commitment to supporting efforts to strengthen security and stability in Somalia and across the Horn of Africa,” Badr said during the meeting.

The deployment is part of Egypt’s broader engagement with the African Union mission aimed at stabilising Somalia after years of conflict and insecurity.

Egypt’s participation in the mission was approved months earlier by the African Union Peace and Security Council, and the two governments have since been working to complete technical and logistical arrangements.

A delegation from the Egyptian Ministry of Defence recently visited Somalia to identify forward operating bases that could host the troops once deployment begins. These bases will support operations under AUSSOM, which replaced the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) earlier this year.

The visit was part of the preparatory work required before the troops could be deployed.

Officials in Mogadishu have maintained that Egypt’s involvement in the mission is aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two countries and helping Somalia build the capacity of its armed forces.

Somalia continues to rely on regional and international partners for security support as the country moves toward taking full responsibility for its national defence.

The talks in Cairo also focused on enhancing bilateral relations in areas such as training, counterterrorism, and intelligence sharing. Badr noted that Egypt will continue to provide technical support to Somalia’s security sector, adding that peace in Somalia is central to regional stability.

The plan to deploy Egyptian troops, however, comes amid ongoing tension between Egypt and Ethiopia, two countries whose relations have remained strained over the construction and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile.

Analysts say Egypt’s growing involvement in Somalia’s security affairs is viewed by Ethiopia as an attempt to extend influence in the Horn of Africa, a region already marked by complex political rivalries.

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• Egypt inches closer to troop deployment in Somalia amid regional tension
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Regional observers have pointed out that Ethiopia has expressed concern over the proposed deployment. Addis Ababa is reported to have urged the African Union (AU) and Somali authorities to reconsider Egypt’s participation, arguing that such a move could alter the security balance in the region.

The Ethiopian government has not issued a formal statement in the past few days, but earlier remarks by senior officials suggested that foreign troop deployments in Somalia should be examined carefully.

Somalia, for its part, has maintained that decisions about which countries participate in the African Union mission are based on national interest and regional cooperation. Somali officials have previously said they have faced external pressure to block Egypt’s participation in the stabilisation mission, but have resisted such calls.