Friday August 29, 2025
Egyptian lawmaker Mustafa Bakhri poses for a portrait. Bakhri said Egypt’s planned troop deployment to Somalia under the African Union mission is legal and cannot be challenged by Ethiopia. Credit: Handout
Mogadishu (HOL) — An Egyptian lawmaker said Friday that Cairo’s decision to send troops to Somalia under the African Union’s stabilization mission is legal and fully endorsed by both Mogadishu and the AU, dismissing Ethiopian objections as an attempt to stir tensions.
Mustafa Bakhri, a member of Egypt’s parliament, told reporters that the deployment “comes at the invitation of Somalia’s government and with the approval of the African Union Peace and Security Council, granting it full legitimacy.” He said Ethiopian criticism “is unacceptable and only intended to provoke instability.”
The comments follow Somalia’s announcement on Aug. 26 that Egyptian troops will join the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) in the coming weeks. Somalia’s Ministry of Defense said the units had completed training in Cairo and would be stationed in Hiiraan, Lower Shabelle, and Gedo, where Somali and allied forces are battling al-Shabab insurgents.
“Egyptian forces will provide direct support to Somalia’s campaign against terrorist groups while strengthening the stability of the state,” Bakhri said, stressing that Cairo’s involvement is not linked to its dispute with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
Egypt’s participation was authorized by the AU in late 2024 after negotiations with Somali officials, and formalized in a bilateral security pact signed in January. In July, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Egypt, where Cairo pledged to step up the training and arming of Somali forces and issued a warning against moves seen as endangering Red Sea security.
Tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia escalated in January 2024 when Addis Ababa signed a memorandum with Somaliland granting it naval and commercial access to Berbera port in exchange for possible recognition of Somaliland’s independence. Mogadishu quickly denounced the deal as an illegal violation of sovereignty and threatened to expel Ethiopian forces. Turkey later mediated the Ankara Declaration in December, which restored diplomatic ties.
For Egypt, participation in Somalia’s stabilization mission is both a show of solidarity with Mogadishu and part of a wider Red Sea strategy. President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi has warned that Ethiopia’s maritime ambitions threaten regional security, especially shipping lanes feeding into the Suez Canal. Somalia, meanwhile, has tried to balance ties, welcoming Egyptian support while insisting it will not be drawn into Nile politics.
Ethiopia’s opposition is rooted in longstanding geopolitical rivalries with Egypt. Cairo and Addis Ababa have clashed for years over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which Egypt fears will restrict its share of Nile waters. The tension deepened in January 2024 following the Ethiopia-Somaliland memorandum.
Bakhri warned that continued Ethiopian resistance could increase the risk of clashes. “Ethiopia does not want Egypt to play a meaningful role in the Horn of Africa,” he said.
Earlier this week, Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Somalia, Suleyman Didefo, told Somali broadcaster Universal TV that his government opposed the deployment of Egyptian troops, stating that Addis Ababa was “deeply concerned” by the plan.
AUSSOM replaced the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) on Jan. 1, 2025, after a U.N. Security Council resolution. The mission is tasked with supporting Somali stabilization efforts while gradually transferring security responsibility to Somali forces. The AU has struggled with funding after the U.N. missed a contribution deadline in May, forcing member states to increase their commitments in July to keep the mission operational.
