Egypt is preparing to send army troops to Somalia for the first time, a move that underscores Cairo’s broader effort to strengthen its military and strategic position in the Horn of Africa. [Getty]
Egyptian military technical teams—including advisers, trainers and officers—are reportedly making arrangements for the deployment, which would follow the signing of a joint military cooperation agreement between Cairo and Mogadishu in 2024.
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The deployment is expected to take place under the countries’ bilateral security and military cooperation framework and as part of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, known as AUSSOM.
Egypt has not released any information about the size of the contingent it would deploy within the mission or within bilateral security and military cooperation with Somalia.
The Egyptian force is reportedly expected to be based in the Ceelcade area, the former site of Cisiley Airfield on the northern edge of Mogadishu. The location lies in the Middle Shabelle region, a low-lying, semi-arid coastal hinterland immediately north of the Banaadir administrative boundary and roughly 400 kilometres from the closest point on Ethiopia’s shared border with Somalia.
Somali political analysts said the arrival of Egyptian troops would deepen military and security ties with Mogadishu at a pivotal moment.
“I believe this is particularly so given the security challenges facing Somalia and the turbulent situation in the Horn of Africa as a whole,” Somali political analyst and African affairs specialist Hassan Muhammad said.
Speaking to The New Arab, Muhammad said he hoped the deployment would strengthen Somalia’s security and military institutions while contributing to greater stability across the country.
“The success of this cooperation will, however, depend on the presence of clear goals, full coordination with Somali institutions and respect for Somalia’s sovereignty and national interests,” he added.
Horn of Africa, at a critical moment
An Egyptian military delegation travelled to the Somali capital on 20 September, where it met Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi. The visit came five days after Egyptian officers held talks in Mogadishu with senior Somali commanders on defence cooperation, military training and building the capacity of the Somali National Army.
The meetings followed Egypt’s decision in 2025 to elevate ties with Somalia to a strategic partnership.
Cairo has pledged support for Somalia and repeatedly stressed the need to protect the country’s territorial integrity and prevent outside interference in its internal affairs.
Somalia also featured prominently in talks between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and visiting CIA Director John Ratcliffe late last month.
From October 2024 to October 2026, Sisi received Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in Egypt five times. Their most recent meeting took place on 3 October in the northern Mediterranean city of Alamein.
The next day, Cairo hosted a quadrilateral summit involving Egypt, Somalia, Eritrea and Sudan. The leaders called for respect for state sovereignty and territorial integrity and rejected foreign interference in their countries’ domestic affairs.
Egyptian analysts say the meetings and public statements reflect Cairo’s determination to continue backing Somalia during a period of heightened regional pressure.
“Egypt wants to help Somalia protect its territorial waters, fend off internal and external threats, such as terrorism and piracy, and prevent foreign meddling in its affairs,” Egyptian security expert Lt. Gen. Khaled Okasha told TNA.
He called Somalia Egypt’s “strategic depth”, citing the links between stability in the Horn of Africa nation and security in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the southern approach to the Suez Canal.
“Somalia’s disintegration would threaten Red Sea and Suez Canal navigation,” Lt. Gen. Okasha said, warning that the consequences would extend to other regional countries and damage the global economy.
Strategic ‘repositioning’
Egyptian troops would arrive in Somalia amid a highly hostile security environment. The Al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab movement continues to contest territory with Somalia’s federal government and remains a serious terrorist threat.
Muhammad said there was public support for an Egyptian military presence, but cautioned that al-Shabaab retained the ability to carry out devastating attacks against government forces and civilians despite the authorities’ extensive security and military operations.
“The movement constitutes one of the most outstanding security challenges facing the government now,” Muhammad said.
“The fight against the movement requires concerted military efforts, which have to move hand in hand with addressing the political, economic and social problems that negatively affect Somalia’s stability,” he added.
The anticipated deployment also comes as military activity increases along Somalia’s coast. Israel, in particular, is expanding its foothold there after recognising the breakaway Somali region of North Western State of Somalia late last year.
At the same time, relations between Egypt and Ethiopia remain deeply strained, while Ethiopia’s civil war—pitting the federal government against seven rebel groups in the country’s north—is broadening.
Cairo and Addis Ababa are locked in an intense dispute over Ethiopia’s operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the multibillion-dollar hydroelectric project on the Blue Nile. The river is the main tributary of the Nile and Egypt’s primary source of fresh water. The countries also disagree over Ethiopia’s plans to build additional dams on the Nile.
On 5 October, Sisi said Egypt would not surrender any part of its annual share of Nile water.
“This share is a firmly established historical and legal right that can neither be reduced or infringement upon,” Sisi said.
In a televised address marking the 53rd anniversary of Egypt’s October 1973 victory over Israel, he described the water entitlement as a “redline” that must not be crossed.
Egypt and Ethiopia are also divided over Addis Ababa’s pursuit of access to the Red Sea. Cairo strongly opposes the prospect of an Ethiopian military presence near the strategically vital maritime route leading north to the Suez Canal.
Egypt’s planned military presence in Somalia forms part of a wider strategy, analysts said, as Cairo seeks to reposition itself militarily and strategically in the Horn of Africa to safeguard its vital national security interests.
The effort extends beyond defence. Egypt has also intensified economic engagement with countries across the region, notably Eritrea, Uganda and Kenya.
“Egypt needs this military presence in the Horn of Africa to protect its national security interests and repel threats to this security,” Egyptian political science professor Ayman Shabana told TNA.
He said an Egyptian deployment could also help allied states, including Somalia and Eritrea, which face mounting threats and are likely to experience some of the greatest consequences of Ethiopia’s ongoing civil war.
“Egyptian military presence also sends a clear message to regional parties that they need to think twice before harming Egyptian interests,” Shabana added.
