Why is Egypt bolstering ties with Somalia now? Egyptian troops joined the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) this week for the first time since bilateral ties were established decades agoImage: Mahamud Hassan/AU UN IST Photo | CC0 1.0Bilateral ties between Egypt and Somalia continue to deepen. The international mission — which first operated under the name African Union Transition Mission in Somalia — has been in place since April 1, 2022. "Cairo still remains very worried about Ethiopia's aim to establish a military presence on the Red Sea," Fabiani explained. Even though Somalia is not directly affected by the GERD water dispute, years of political strife between Egypt and Ethiopia have further aligned Somalia and Egypt in their aim to form a regional counterweight to Addis Ababa.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 15, 2026 13:44 UTC