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.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.0-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%20and%20electric%20motor%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20power%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20700hp%20at%207%2C500rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20torque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20720Nm%20at%202%2C250rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eight-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E0-100km%2Fh%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.0sec%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E330kph%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh1.14%20million%20(%24311%2C000)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
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MATCH INFO
Alaves 1 (Perez 65' pen)
Real Madrid 2 (Ramos 52', Carvajal 69')
FULL%20FIGHT%20CARD
%3Cp%3EFeatherweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Abdullah%20Al%20Qahtani%20v%20Taha%20Bendaoud%0D%3Cbr%3EBantamweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Ali%20Taleb%20v%20Nawras%20Abzakh%0D%3Cbr%3EBantamweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Xavier%20Alaoui%20v%20Rachid%20El%20Hazoume%0D%3Cbr%3EFeatherweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Islam%20Reda%20v%20Adam%20Meskini%0D%3Cbr%3EBantamweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Tariq%20Ismail%20v%20Jalal%20Al%20Daaja%0D%3Cbr%3EBantamweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Elias%20Boudegzdame%20v%20Hassan%20Mandour%0D%3Cbr%3EAmateur%20Female%20Atomweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Hattan%20Al%20Saif%20v%20Nada%20Faheem%0D%3Cbr%3EFeatherweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Maraoune%20Bellagouit%20v%20Motaz%20Askar%0D%3Cbr%3EFeatherweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Ahmed%20Tarek%20v%20Abdelrahman%20Alhyasat%0D%3Cbr%3EShowcase%20Featherweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Mido%20Mohamed%20v%20Yazeed%20Hasanain%0D%3Cbr%3EShowcase%20Flyweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Malik%20Basahel%20v%20Harsh%20Pandya%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
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