MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Diplomatic relations between Somalia and Egypt have deteriorated sharply following a breakdown in the implementation of a military cooperation pact signed in August 2024, with Cairo suspending a planned deployment of special forces to central Somalia amid frustrations over Mogadishu’s rapprochement with Ethiopia, The New Arab reported on Monday.
Egypt, which had committed to sending over 1,000 elite troops and combat helicopters to bolster Somali operations against Al-Shabaab militants in the Middle Shabelle region, including recently retaken Adan Yabal town, has indefinitely halted the mission, sources told The New Arab.
Cairo is reportedly incensed by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s abrupt pivot towards Addis Ababa, including the unexpected signing of bilateral agreements with Ethiopia without prior consultation with Egyptian authorities. The shift, described by sources as a “180-degree turn,” has raised concerns in Cairo over the reliability of its Somali counterpart and the erosion of a previously coordinated strategy to contain Ethiopian influence in the Horn of Africa.
Despite providing Somalia with significant military assistance in recent years—including large-scale weapons deliveries and the training of thousands of Somali troops—Egyptian officials now feel sidelined and betrayed by what they perceive as Mogadishu’s diplomatic volte-face.
Eritrea, a key signatory alongside Egypt and Somalia in a tripartite security pact aimed at counterbalancing Ethiopian ambitions, also views Somalia’s new overtures to Addis Ababa as a breach of trust.
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, speaking at an emergency security summit in Uganda this week, blamed “strategic miscalculations” by Somali authorities for recent militant gains but stopped short of pledging renewed support for Mogadishu, signaling a cooling of bilateral defense ties.
Adding to Cairo’s frustration is the growing presence of Turkish forces in Somalia. The recent deployment of hundreds of Turkish troops to Mogadishu has underscored intensifying geopolitical competition in the region. Ankara, which maintains close ties with Ethiopia, is reportedly facilitating Ethiopian engagement in Somalia and is said to oppose any Egyptian footprint in the country.
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