Cairo (Somalia Today) – Egypt and Somalia forged a defiant “Red Sea front” on Sunday to counter Israel’s historic recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland, as Cairo pledged to accelerate a major troop deployment to Mogadishu.
The summit between Egypt’s Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Somalia’s Hassan Sheikh Mohamud follows a string of high-level talks in recent years, reflecting rising geopolitical tensions across the Horn of Africa.
It comes after a December 2025 announcement in which Israel became the first UN member state to formally recognise Somaliland, a move Mogadishu brands an “act of aggression.”
Standing alongside Mohamud at the Ittihadiya Palace, Sisi warned outside countries not to interfere. He stressed that only the nations next to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden should handle their own security.
“Egypt will remain a sincere and powerful partner,” Sisi told reporters. “The security of Somalia is the security of Egypt.”
‘Illegal’ recognition
President Mohamud, who arrived in Cairo on Sunday, then lashed out at the Israeli move, framing it as a direct threat to regional peace.
“The illegal steps taken by Israel regarding the recognition of the northern region of Somalia, Somaliland, violate established international laws and the charters of the United Nations and the African Union,” Mohamud said.
He warned that such “strategic provocations” would inevitably fuel the fire of extremism.
“They create opportunities for extremist groups to profit from instability,” he added, referring to the Al-Shabaab jihadists who have waged a bloody insurgency against the central government for nearly two decades.
The Somali leader also expressed “profound appreciation” for Cairo’s role in defending Somalia’s territorial integrity, a sentiment echoed by Sisi, who rejected “any measures” that touch upon Somali unity.
Against this backdrop of rising regional tension, Sisi confirmed that Cairo is moving “full steam ahead” with its military commitment to Somalia.
Egypt is finalising its force deployment under the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
The new mission, which replaced the previous ATMIS force at the start of 2025, sees Egypt taking a leading role in a country it views as a vital partner in maintaining regional balance.
“Egypt is proceeding with the deployment of its forces within the mission,” Sisi said.
He also stressed that Cairo would also provide “extensive” training and capacity-building programs for Somali security forces, arguing that “strong national institutions” are the only long-term solution to terrorism.
Red Sea rivalry
Tensions in the Horn have simmered since early 2024, when landlocked Ethiopia signed a controversial memorandum of understanding with Somaliland to gain access to the sea in exchange for eventual recognition.
But Israel’s subsequent recognition of Somaliland in late 2025 has altered the region’s balance forever.
In response, Cairo—already in a long standoff with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD)—views a possible Israeli or Ethiopian navy in the Gulf of Aden as a threat to the Suez Canal.
Sisi underscored this strategic anxiety on Sunday, highlighting the “unique location” of both Egypt and Somalia at the northern and southern gateways of the Red Sea.
Beyond the military sphere, the two leaders also sought to solidify a partnership they first formalised in January 2025.
Sisi, meanwhile, announced that an Egyptian medical convoy would depart for Somalia “in the near future” to provide specialized care.
He also emphasized the need to “maximize” trade through improved air and sea links, building on the momentum of high-level visits that have characterized the relationship over the past year.
For President Mohamud, the Cairo summit provides a critical diplomatic shield. By aligning with Egypt—and by extension, Cairo’s allies—Mogadishu is attempting to isolate the Somaliland administration and raise the cost of recognition for other international actors.
As the press conference concluded, Sisi reaffirmed that Egypt’s support for Somalia’s “unity and sovereignty” remains a pillar of his administration’s foreign policy.
