Egypt is building up its military mission in Somalia before the December 31 deadline for Ethiopian troops to withdraw from the Horn of Africa nation, with Cairo also training and supporting Somali security forces in the fight against Al Qaeda-linked militants, sources told The National on Tuesday.
Egypt and Somalia, members of the Cairo-based Arab League, signed a milestone military co-operation agreement in August. Egypt has since sent weapons, military advisers, trainers and counter-terrorism commandos to Mogadishu.
Thousands of Egyptian personnel were expected to be involved in the military mission by the end of the year, the sources said. Ethiopia is believed to have about 22,000 troops in Somalia, they added.
The Ethiopians are in the country under the terms of a bilateral agreement and as part of an African Union peacekeeping force to help Somalia fight against Al Shabab.
Both Egypt and Somalia are at sharp odds with Ethiopia. Cairo has complained that a Nile dam built by Addis Ababa will reduce Egypt's vital share of the river's water. Somalia said its sovereignty was breached by a deal announced this year between landlocked Ethiopia and the breakaway region of Somaliland that is to give Addis Ababa a port on the Red Sea.
Egypt announced it intended to replace the Ethiopian peacekeepers at the end of the year, a move Somalia has publicly supported.
Some Somali forces supported by Egyptian advisers, the sources said, have already been sent along the Ethiopian contingent's supply routes to prevent, if necessary, any attempt by Addis Ababa to send more soldiers into the country before the withdrawal deadline.
The sources said Ethiopia increased its military presence by an estimated 7,000 men to 22,000 in the days after Egypt began to send weapons and military personnel to Somalia.
Ethiopia has been defending its January deal with Somaliland, arguing that access to the Red Sea allows it to protect shipping and ensure the stability of the Horn of Africa region. It has also indirectly criticised Egypt's military role in Somalia.
Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie, who was foreign minister at the time, said he was concerned that arms from “external forces would further exacerbate the fragile security [in Somalia] and would end up in the hands of terrorists”, the Ethiopia News Agency reported. He was referring to Al Shabab.
In response, Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi said: “Ethiopia's motivation behind these defamatory statements is its attempt to conceal the illegal smuggling of weapons across the Somali borders, which are falling into the hands of civilians and terrorists.” He did not elaborate.
Ethiopia has repeatedly sought to assure Egypt, and fellow downstream country Sudan, that the nearly complete Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will not harm their interests. The project was crucial to the country's development, Addis Ababa has explained.
More than a decade of negotiations between the three nations have failed to produce a deal, with Egypt and Sudan pushing for Ethiopia to enter a legally binding agreement on the operation of the dam and filling of its reservoir. Ethiopia said a set of recommendations should suffice.
Last week, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi touched on the issue at an online water conference. “The River Nile, specifically, is an issue that's associated with the life and survival of Egyptians,” he said. “It's the chief source of life in our nation. Egypt is the gift of the glorious river."
Mr El Sisi has in the past decade sought to persuade countries in the Nile basin and Horn of Africa to put pressure on Addis Ababa to be flexible over the dam dispute. It's toward that goal that Egypt has struck a series of military co-operation agreements with some of those nations and offered expertise and professional assistance to others.
Cairo's actions in Somalia and growing ties with Eritrea emphasise Egypt's increasing resolve to put pressure on Ethiopia to enter an agreement on the dam. Both Somalia and Eritrea overlook the southern reaches of the Red Sea and neighbour Ethiopia to the south and north respectively.
Last week, Mr El Sisi and the leaders of Somalia and Eritrea met in Asmara for an intensely publicised summit. Mr El Sisi told reporters in the Eritrean capital that his country “will provide all forms of support to the brotherly nation of Somalia so that it can restore its safety and security".
"We discussed practical suggestions to offer this help," he added. “Egypt will spare no effort nor withhold advice that serves the objectives of our peoples and the aspirations of our nations in the Horn of Africa.”
Egypt's growing ties with Eritrea is a reflection of the fraught relations between Asmara and Addis Ababa.
A 2018 peace agreement between Eritrea and Ethiopia eased tensions temporarily and paved the way for Eritrea to support Addis Ababa in its war against the separatist Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). But Eritrea is unhappy with the peace accord Ethiopia signed in 2022 with the TPLF, which Asmara views as a threat to its national security.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
More from Neighbourhood Watch
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
Bawaal%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nitesh%20Tiwari%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Varun%20Dhawan%2C%20Janhvi%20Kapoor%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Zayed Sustainability Prize
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Mission%3A%20Impossible%20-%20Dead%20Reckoning%20Part%20One
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Christopher%20McQuarrie%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tom%20Cruise%2C%20Hayley%20Atwell%2C%20Pom%20Klementieff%2C%20Simon%20Pegg%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
US PGA Championship in numbers
1 Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.
2 To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.
3 Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.
4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.
5 In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.
6 For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.
7 Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.
8 Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.
9 Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.
10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.
11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.
12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.
13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.
14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.
15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.
16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.
17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.
18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).
The%20pillars%20of%20the%20Dubai%20Metaverse%20Strategy
%3Cp%3EEncourage%20innovation%20in%20the%20metaverse%20field%20and%20boost%20economic%20contribution%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20outstanding%20talents%20through%20education%20and%20training%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20applications%20and%20the%20way%20they%20are%20used%20in%20Dubai's%20government%20institutions%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAdopt%2C%20expand%20and%20promote%20secure%20platforms%20globally%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20the%20infrastructure%20and%20regulations%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More on Quran memorisation:
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
ICC T20 Rankings
1. India - 270 ranking points
2. England - 265 points
3. Pakistan - 261 points
4. South Africa - 253 points
5. Australia - 251 points
6. New Zealand - 250 points
7. West Indies - 240 points
8. Bangladesh - 233 points
9. Sri Lanka - 230 points
10. Afghanistan - 226 points
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
if you go
The flights
Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes.
The car
Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals (more at www.hertz.com/etihad). A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.
The hotels
Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes.
More info
To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
