Egypt Daily News – Today, Thursday, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi commented on the participation of Egyptian forces in the African Union mission in Somalia. He stressed during a joint press conference with Somali President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in Cairo, that the presence of the Egyptian army in Somalia does not aim to threaten any country.
President El-Sisi continued: “Egypt’s participation in this mission is positive. For more than 30 years, we have been suffering from what is happening in Somalia and our participation primarily aims to show solidarity with our brothers in Somalia,” according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.
He added that the security and stability of Somalia is “an integral part of our national security.”
The visit of the Somali President, Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud, to Cairo witnessed his signing with the Egyptian President of the joint political declaration to raise relations between Egypt and Somalia to the level of a strategic partnership, in addition to a number of memorandums of understanding between the two countries signed by the foreign ministers of the two countries.
Somali President Sheikh Mahmoud stressed that “the agreements we signed today do not aim to harm other countries, and represent a basis for confronting the existing challenges.” He continued, “The agreements we signed with Egypt today will serve the interests of our two countries and the world and represent a basis for confronting the existing challenges, and we look forward to translating them into tangible results in the near future.”
In August 2024, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi renewed his country’s rejection of any interference in the affairs of Somalia, affirming Egypt’s position in support of the unity and sovereignty of Somalia over its lands, according to Ahmed Fahmy, the spokesman for the Egyptian presidency.
On August 14, Egypt and Somalia signed a protocol for military cooperation between the two countries.
In July 2024, Somalia officially announced its approval of a joint defense agreement with Egypt, and last August, Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Faqi said that the agreement enables the Somali Armed Forces to effectively protect its sovereignty.
