Supporting Somalia is our priority, Egypt reiterates

CAIRO - The government of Egypt maintains that supporting the unity of Somalia is the most important priority at this time, insisting that the Horn of Africa nation needs a friend to lean on, during this difficult time.

Somalia is currently at loggerheads with Ethiopia over access to the Red Sea, with Ethiopia signing an illegal Memorandum of Understanding with Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia.

Ethiopia is keen to acquire 20 kilometers of the Red Sea for the construction of a military base and port, at the expense of recognizing the region as a sovereign state, a move which has triggered acrimony between Mogadishu and Addis Ababa.

Mostafa Madbouly, Egypt's Prime Minister, said the country will closely support Somalia as it struggles to stamp authority on matters of stability and growth, following years of economic instability.

"Achieving the unity of Somalia and supporting our Somali brothers at this stage is one of the most important priorities of the Egyptian state," the PM said after a meeting with Hamsa Abdi Barre.

Recently, Ethiopia maintained it will not withdraw soldiers from Somalia, noting that its efforts in maintaining peace and stability in the Horn of Africa nation 'cannot be taken for granted'. It insists that the United Nations and the African Union must first discuss the matter.

The government of Somalia maintains that Egypt should be in charge of the new African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), adding that Ethiopia must end its support in the Horn of Africa nation.

Egypt has dispatched soldiers to Somalia’s lengthy coastline, who are set to defend the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty. The move has triggered outbursts from Ethiopia, which has strategically positioned its troops along the border.

GAROWE ONLINE