Somalia Greenlights Egyptian Troops Deployment, Signaling Shift from Ethiopian Military

MOGADISHU, Somalia - In what could be a strategic move to replace Ethiopian troops in the upcoming AU Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), the government of Somalia has okayed the deployment of Egyptian forces in the country After the August security deal.

With Villa Somalia endorsing Egypt as the lead in AUSSOM, Cairo has dispatched advance teams to Somalia who are said to be assisting the Somali National Army (SNA) in critical supply routes where the Al-Shabaab are frequent troublemakers.

Plans are in place to dispatch the first official contingent to Somalia after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held a tripartite summit with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Eritrea leader Isaias Afwerki.

Somalia has opposed the inclusion of Ethiopia in the new mission, citing alleged violations of its territorial integrity and sovereignty. Somalia is unhappy with Ethiopia's deal with Somaliland over access to the Red Sea and has expressed displeasure over the same.

In a bid to establish a military presence in Somalia, Egypt has dispatched weapons, military advisors, and Commando units as advance teams despite objections by Troops Contributing Countries led by Uganda. The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) mandate is expiring in December 2024.

Egypt aims to finalize its plans before December 31, the deadline set by Somalia’s government for the withdrawal of Ethiopian forces. Although Somalia maintains it has the power to determine the composition of mission teams, Ethiopia says such actions are subject to African Union determination.

But the presence of Egyptian commandos along with Somali National Army officers has been sighted in critical supply routes manned by Ethiopian troops, signaling an irreversible decision by Somalia to replace them, particularly in Southwest and Jubaland, sources said.

Since Egypt began sending shipments of weapons to Somalia, Ethiopia has deployed an additional 7,000 soldiers to the country in a bid to strengthen its presence in the neighboring Horn of Africa nation, despite the Somali government’s insistence on their withdrawal.

Ethiopia has raised concerns about a potential escalation of tensions after Egypt supplied weapons to Somalia but Cairo says the move is in line with the defense pact they signed, adding that it has a responsibility to help the country fight Al-Shabaab militants.

GAROWE ONLINE