MOGADISHU (Idilnews) โ Two Egyptian C-130 military aircraft landed in Mogadishu on Tuesday, marking a significant escalation in military cooperation between Egypt and Somalia. The planes, carrying military equipment and personnel are part of a broader plan to deploy between 5,000 and 10,000 Egyptian troops across Somalia in the coming weeks, video sources revealed.
The deployment comes as Somalia and Ethiopia are locked in a bitter dispute over a Memorandum of Understanding recently signed by Ethiopia with Somaliland, a move seen by Mogadishu as undermining its sovereignty. The Somali government is also keen on Egyptโs participation in the African Union’s new peacekeeping mission, AUSSOM, set to replace the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) by January 2025.
According to sources, the Egyptian forces are expected to be stationed in various regions, including South West State, Hirshabelle, and Galmudug. While half of the troops will integrate into the AUSSOM forces, the other half will operate independently to support the Somali Federal Government.
This military collaboration with Egypt comes at a time when relations between Somalia and Ethiopia have reached a new low, amid concerns that the two countries could be drawn into a broader geopolitical conflict, particularly over the long-standing Nile River dispute.
Notably, Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, a prominent Somali journalist and the Secretary-General of the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) warned of the historical parallels, recalling how Egyptโs involvement in Somalia in the mid-1990s led to deadly clashes fueled by rival clan militias.
โBetween 1995 and 1997, Egypt provided weapons and training to Somali clan militias in Mogadishu, and even deployed non-Somali mercenaries, leading to deadly clashes across southern Somalia as other rival clans, supported by Ethiopia, fought back,โ Mumin tweeted. โToday, Egypt’s decision to deploy its forces in Mogadishu and arm certain Somali clans risks repeating this tragic history.โ
Mumin added that the ongoing Nile water dispute should not be turned into a proxy war in Somalia, warning that it could endanger civilian lives, including those in his own community.
As more Egyptian military flights are expected to arrive in Mogadishu in the coming days, concerns are mounting that Somalia could once again become a battleground for regional powers, threatening the stability of the Horn of Africa.