CAIRO: Ethiopia “has no right to object to Egyptian-Somali military cooperation, as such an objection would constitute interference in the internal affairs of Somalia — a sovereign state,” security expert Ahmed Abdel Wahab told Arab News in Cairo.
The comment came as Ethiopia expressed concern over a recent defense deal between Egypt and Somalia — two countries that Addis Ababa is embroiled in disputes with amid rising tensions in the Horn of Africa region.
Cairo and Mogadishu recently signed a security agreement during a visit to the Egyptian capital by Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who held talks with his Egyptian host, President Abdel-Fatah El-Sisi.
Egypt sent two C-130 aircraft loaded with military equipment to Somalia as part of Cairo’s efforts to retrain and reorganize the Somali army to strengthen its capabilities.
Egypt and Nigeria also signed a memorandum of understanding last week to deepen cooperation in the defense industries.
Analysts say Egypt’s increasing military presence in African countries at this level may have angered Ethiopia.
Commenting further on the regional developments, Abdel Wahab told Arab News: “Ethiopia views Egypt’s potential military foothold in a country bordering Ethiopia as a cause for concern, especially against the backdrop of Egyptian-Ethiopian disputes over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, or GERD.
“Given Somalia’s strategic location on the Red Sea and the activity of the Al-Shabab terrorist group, which poses a significant threat to Red Sea shipping lanes, Somalia requested a military cooperation agreement with Egypt.
“This aligns with Egypt’s crucial role in combating terrorism and organized crime and its active involvement in peacekeeping forces in the Sahel region and the Horn of Africa.”
The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently issued a statement criticizing the Somali-Egyptian step without explicitly mentioning Egypt or the dispatch of its military equipment.
The ministry stated: “Ethiopia has tirelessly worked for peace and security in Somalia and the region … Instead of building on these efforts towards peace, the Somali government is colluding with external parties aiming to destabilize the region.”
Observers have interpreted the Ethiopian statement as an implicit attack on the presence of Egyptian forces on Somali soil.
African affairs expert Sanaa Al-Mahmoudi commented: “Egypt’s move toward military cooperation in Africa is not new. Previously, Egypt had proposed the idea of an African alliance to fight terrorism. A meeting was held in Egypt, attended by a large number of African defense ministers. But France, with its interventionist interests in Africa, thwarted the idea.”
Al-Mahmoudi told Arab News: “The issue is that Egyptian military forces are present on Somali soil … and Ethiopian-Somali relations are strained these days due to Addis Ababa’s indirect support for the separatist Somaliland region.
“If the reports are accurate that Ethiopia has officially recognized Somaliland, the situation is likely to escalate.
“Somalia has sought Egypt’s support, while Somaliland has turned to Ethiopia. Furthermore, Ethiopia has announced the full operation of the GERD. All these developments could ignite tensions in the region.”
