President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said Egypt's actions in Somalia are meant to support counter-terrorism efforts and local security.
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said Egypt's actions in Somalia are meant to support counter-terrorism efforts and local security.
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said Egypt's actions in Somalia are meant to support counter-terrorism efforts and local security.
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said Egypt's actions in Somalia are meant to support counter-terrorism efforts and local security.

Egypt’s participation in new AU mission in Somalia is not meant to threaten other nations, says El Sisi


Hamza Hendawi
  • English
  • Arabic

Egypt's future participation in a new counter-terrorism African Union mission in Somalia is designed to bring stability and security to the Horn of Africa country and not pose a threat to other nations, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said on Thursday.

The Egyptian leader's comments followed his talks in Cairo earlier on Thursday with Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud after which they announced a “political declaration” that Cairo said will lay the foundation for a strategic partnership between the two Arab League members.

Mr El Sisi's assertion that Egypt's participation in the new AU mission should not be perceived as a threat was a thinly-veiled reference to Ethiopia, Somalia's neighbour with which Cairo has been locked in a bitter dispute over a Nile dam being built by Addis Ababa and which Egypt sees as a threat to its water security.

Egypt and Somalia have seen their ties rapidly grow over the past year as Cairo seeks to broaden its footprint in the strategic Horn of Africa region to counter Ethiopia's influence and persuade it to adopt a flexible approach in more than a decade of fruitless negotiations to resolve their dispute.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in Guba, Ethiopia. AFP
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in Guba, Ethiopia. AFP

Bound by a comprehensive military co-operation agreement signed in August, Egypt has sent elite troops to Somalia to train local security forces in counter-terrorism tactics to fight the Al Qaeda-linked Al Shaba group. It has also sent weapons and troops to guard top government officials and key state installations.

It has, in recent weeks, been beefing up its contingent there in anticipation of its participation in the new AU force, formally called the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (Aussom). It will replace the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (Atmis), whose mandate ended on December 31.

“Allow me to speak about our participation in that mission which aims to bring stability and security to Somalia,” he said after his meeting with Mr Mohamud, their fourth since January last year.

“It is not aimed at threatening any nation. Our participation is positive because we have been pained for over 30 years watching what's happening in Somalia.”

Egypt has in recent years negotiated access to military centres in Eritrea and Djibouti, and struck military co-operation accords with, besides Somalia, Nile basin states Kenya, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo – steps widely known to be linked to Cairo's dispute with Addis Ababa.

Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Bloomberg
Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Bloomberg

Tension between landlocked Ethiopia and Somalia flared a year ago after Addis Ababa signed a maritime deal with the breakaway region of Somaliland to gain access to the Red Sea. Somalia, which viewed the deal as a breach of its sovereignty, responded by declaring it did not want Ethiopian troops to serve in Aussom, saying that they had not effectively reduced the threat posed by Al Shabab.

However, Mogadishu's relations with Addis Ababa have somewhat thawed following a Turkish mediation between the two neighbours in December. Earlier this month, Somalia and Ethiopia said they intended to restore full diplomatic relations after a visit by Mr Mohamud to Addis Ababa.

The size of the new AU mission in Somalia and the Egyptian contingent have yet to be formally announced, although Somali officials say 11,000 men have already been pledged. Sources have told The National that Egypt's contribution will make up about 25 per cent of the new mission.

German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

MATCH INFO

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Valladolid 1 (Kiko 15')

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Favourite film: The Greatest Showman.

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BMW M5 specs

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Ain Dubai in numbers

126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure

1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch

16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.

9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.

5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place

192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.

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The specs

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Transmission: ten-speed

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The specs: 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet

Price, base: Dh429,090

Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission Seven-speed automatic

Power 510hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque 700Nm @ 1,750rpm

Fuel economy, combined 9.2L / 100km

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  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
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  • Fly it within visual line of sight
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  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
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  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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The specs

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Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

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About Tenderd

Started: May 2018

Founder: Arjun Mohan

Based: Dubai

Size: 23 employees 

Funding: Raised $5.8m in a seed fund round in December 2018. Backers include Y Combinator, Beco Capital, Venturesouq, Paul Graham, Peter Thiel, Paul Buchheit, Justin Mateen, Matt Mickiewicz, SOMA, Dynamo and Global Founders Capital

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Updated: January 23, 2025, 6:29 PM`