Somalia signs defence pact with Egypt

CAIRO, Egypt - The Federal Government of Somalia has signed a defense pact with Egypt. This country has been supporting the nation's territorial integrity and sovereignty, which had been under threat from Ethiopia in recent times.

On Wednesday, the two countries signed the defense cooperation following bilateral talks between President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud who is on an official trip to Cairo, the Egyptian capital.

Somalia said it is a “significant defense agreement between Somalia and Egypt, aimed at bolstering security cooperation between the two brotherly nations.” Egypt is set to dispatch troops to Somalia to oversee the next phase of the peacekeeping mission.

At a news conference with El-Sisi, Mohamud said the “historic” pact is a testament to a future of common defense against international terrorism that Somalia is battling at home and abroad.

“The agreement serves as a blueprint for the exchange of knowledge and expertise in the pursuit of regional, continental, and international peace and security,” the Somali presidential palace said.

The new African Union Transition Mission in Somalia will guard towns that have been liberated from the Al-Shabab militants. The ATMIS mandate shall expire by December 2024 per the Somali Transition Plan.

The value of Egyptian exports to Somalia increased to $54 million in the first 11 months of 2023, compared to $42.3 million during the period in 2022, an increase of 27.7% as the value of Somalia exports to Egypt stabilized at $2.2 million, according to the Egyptian Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).

GAROWE ONLINE