Troubled African state approves defense agreement with Egypt

In January, Cairo vowed to defend Somali territorial sovereignty following a conflict with Ethiopia over a Red Sea access deal

Somalia has approved a defense agreement with Egypt that aims to strengthen the military capacity of the East African nation, which has been embroiled in a decades-long war with Al Shabaab militants, according to local and regional media.

The deal, struck in January, was reportedly ratified late on Friday during an extraordinary cabinet meeting.

While details of the pact have yet to be made public, Mogadishu-based daily Xamar Online claims it includes provisions for joint military training and intelligence sharing, with the goal of addressing common security challenges and bolstering regional stability.

The move by the Somali government is the latest effort to enhance its security framework and international partnerships in the wake of a maritime dispute with Ethiopia.

Tensions have been high between the two Horn of Africa nations since the beginning of the year, when Addis Ababa reached an agreement with breakaway Somaliland to gain access to the Red Sea and build a marine force base.

Mogadishu, which considers Somaliland to be part of its territory despite the region declaring de facto independence in 1991, rejected the pact, calling it an act of aggression and a threat to its sovereignty.

Late in January, Egypt, which has been at odds with Ethiopia for years over the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance dam on the Blue Nile, declared its support for Somalia in the conflict with Addis Ababa. During a joint media briefing in Cairo with his Somali counterpart, Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud, Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi vowed that his government would not tolerate anyone threatening Mogadishu’s security or infringing on its territory.

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Sisi proposed that landlocked Ethiopia use ports in Somalia and Djibouti for maritime trade rather than attempting to “control” another country’s land through the 50-year agreement with Somaliland.

Addis Ababa, which has relied on neighboring Djibouti for the majority of its maritime trade for over three decades, has denied the allegations of trying to grab Somali lands.

Mogadishu has rejected regional proposals for diplomatic settlement of the dispute and has sought international support against the deal. Last month, however, the Turkish government announced that officials of the East African nations had agreed to pursue dialogue to resolve issues.