MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Egypt has deployed a 16-member technical committee to Somalia to evaluate army bases forward of a deliberate troop deployment beneath the African Union peacekeeping mission, the African Union Assist and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) mentioned on Monday.
The delegation, led by Egyptian protection official Islam Radwan, held talks with ATMIS management on the fortified Halane base camp close to Mogadishu’s Aden Adde Worldwide Airport. Discussions targeted on logistical preparations and operational coordination for the incoming Egyptian forces.
The transfer comes days after Ethiopia’s ambassador to Somalia, Suleiman Dedefo, criticized Egypt’s deliberate deployment, claiming it will not contribute to stability within the Horn of Africa nation. Dedefo argued that Egypt lacks a observe file in regional peacekeeping and had not intervened to revive peace in neighboring conflicts comparable to these in Libya, Sudan, or Gaza.
Tensions over Egypt’s involvement have intensified amid broader geopolitical strains between Cairo and Addis Ababa, significantly concerning the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile – a venture Egypt views as a menace to its important water safety.
Egypt is amongst 5 African Union member states contributing troops to AUSSOM, alongside Ethiopia, Djibouti, Uganda, and Kenya. Nonetheless, Egypt’s pending deployment has triggered opposition from Ethiopia and regional Somali administrations allied with Addis Ababa, together with Jubaland and Southwest State.
The deployment was additionally the topic of latest discussions between Somalia’s State Minister of Protection, Omar Ali Abdi, and the Egyptian embassy’s army attaché in Mogadishu. Either side reportedly reviewed technical and operational facets that have to be resolved earlier than troops arrive.
Whereas Egypt maintains that its presence will assist Somalia’s stabilization, analysts warn that the overlapping involvement of each Egyptian and Ethiopian troops might danger inflaming regional rivalries on Somali soil.
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