Egypt will contribute troops to an African Union Somalia peacekeeping mission, its foreign minister said on Monday, as ties between the two countries grow closer amid tensions with Ethiopia over recognition of Somaliland.
The African Union stabilisation and support mission, known as AUSSOM, will replace an anti-terror mission ending this year © Mena Today
Egypt will contribute troops to an African Union Somalia peacekeeping mission, its foreign minister said on Monday, as ties between the two countries grow closer amid tensions with Ethiopia over recognition of Somaliland.
"Egypt has decided to participate in the mission based on the Somali government's request and welcoming of the African Union's Peace and Security Council," said Badr Abdelatty during a press conference in Cairo to mark a visit by the Somali foreign minister.
The African Union stabilisation and support mission, known as AUSSOM, will replace an anti-terror mission ending this year.
A dispute between Ethiopia and Somalia broke out this year over Addis Ababa's plan to build a port in the breakaway region of Somaliland, which had drawn in regional powers and threatened to further destabilise the Horn of Africa.
After talks mediated by Turkey, Somalia and Ethiopia said they would work together to resolve the issue.
"We spoke about the situation in Somalia and Egypt's support of Somalia imposing its authority and sovereignty on all Somali national land and the refusal of any directives or unilateral moves that touch the unity, sovereignty and security of Somalia," Abdelatty added.
The spat has drawn Somalia closer to Egypt, which criticised the Somaliland deal and has been at odds with Ethiopia for years over Addis Ababa's construction of a hydro dam on the river Nile.
Following the signing of a joint security pact, Egypt has delivered weapons and ammunition, including anti-aircraft guns and artillery, to Somalia.
Reporting by Nafisa Eltahir
Egypt has thrown its full diplomatic weight behind the European Commission’s newly announced €1.6 billion multi-year support program for the Palestinian Authority (PA), calling it a clear affirmation of Europe’s commitment to Palestinian statehood and institutional resilience — explicitly excluding any role for Hamas in Gaza’s future.
The United States has approved the sale of 600 Stinger man-portable air defense missiles (MANPADS) to Morocco, along with associated equipment, in a deal valued at $825 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) confirmed on Tuesday.
France announced on Tuesday it will expel 12 Algerian diplomatic and consular officials and recall its ambassador from Algiers for consultations, in a move that signals a major deterioration in already fragile bilateral relations.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.