Vessel Transporting Egyptian Weapons to Somalia Operated under Stealth and Heavy Safeguards

With a hold brimming with heavy weaponry and ammunition for Somalia amid the turbulent Horn of Africa, the voyage of the Al Hurreya 2 was fraught with hazards in the Red Sea’s perilous southern waters. The stakes? Enormous.

If the Al Hurreya 2’s mission faltered or was interrupted, it would spell significant embarrassment for a nation with the region’s largest military, which invested billions in modern arms over the past decade.

Two days post-discharge in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Monday, insiders confided in The National about the array of precautions taken to ensure the vessel’s safe passage.

The Yemeni Houthis needed prior briefing to prevent the Al Hurreya 2 from suffering the fate of numerous vessels the Iranian-backed insurgents have attacked in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Additionally, the threat from Somali pirates loomed large over the southern expanse of the Red and the Arabian seas.

Egyptian warships, including the indigenously-built Gowind-class frigate operational since 2021, provided an escort for the Al Hurreya 2 during its approximate 24-hour trek starting in southern Egypt, sources disclosed. Supporting from above, helicopter gunships from one of Egypt’s two French-made Mistral-class assault ships vigilantly patrolled the skies, these sources, speaking anonymously, revealed.

In Somalia’s capital, the Al Hurreya 2 offloaded an arsenal that included mortars, anti-aircraft weapons, armored personnel carriers, rocket launchers, ammunition, and fuel, according to both sources and media outlets.

Planning for this week’s military shipment had been meticulous, with Egypt quietly coordinating with Sudan, Eritrea, and Djibouti—three Red Sea nations known for amicable ties with Cairo.

“Zero hour was tightly guarded,” mentioned one source. “Only essential personnel knew the cargo’s details, with trust paramount,” they expressed, citing heightened Red Sea tensions amid increasing warship deployments to counter Houthi threats.

Special forces with counterterrorism expertise, alongside Somali troops, secured the docks during the offloading, the sources said. Somalia’s Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur was also present.

Second Shipment

This second shipment within a month unfolded under a joint military pact inked by Egypt and Somalia last month. The agreement stipulates Egyptian military advisors will train Somali troops, conduct joint exercises, and safeguard key leaders and installations.

Like the initial shipment, this one also ignited ire in Ethiopia, already embroiled in strained relations with both Egypt and Somalia. News of these deliveries sent ripples through the Horn of Africa, a region scarred by civil wars, entrenched ethnic rivalries, and terrorism.

“External arms could worsen Somalia’s fragile security, potentially landing in terrorists’ hands,” Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Taye Atske Selassie voiced, referring to the Al Qaeda-affiliated Al Shabab, per the Ethiopia News Agency.

Conversely, Somalia’s Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi declared, “Ethiopia’s accusations aim to distract from its illicit arms smuggling into Somalia, now in civilian and terrorist hands.” He opted not to elaborate.

Both shipments and the deployment of Egypt’s troops and advisors signify the nation’s most extensive foreign military involvement since the 1990-91 Kuwait crisis, where Egyptian forces joined a US-led coalition to drive out the Iraqi military.

These moves underscore Egypt’s determination to pressure Ethiopia into a legally binding agreement regarding the operation and filling of a massive hydroelectric dam Addis Ababa is erecting on the Nile—a venture Cairo fears will diminish its crucial water share.

Contrary to the initial airlifted arms delivery to Mogadishu, the Egyptian government publicly confirmed this week’s weapons arrival without divulging specifics.

Historic Relations

Egypt and Somalia, both members of the Cairo-based Arab League, share ties dating back to ancient times. Notably, Somalia was among only three Arab League nations not to sever diplomatic ties with Egypt following Cairo’s 1979 peace treaty with Israel.

Somalia accuses Ethiopia of infringing on its sovereignty after the landlocked nation agreed in January to lease 20 km of coastline from North Western State of Somalia—a region of Somalia claiming independence and practical autonomy since 1991—in exchange for potential recognition. In response, Somalia threatened to expel Ethiopian troops serving with a peacekeeping mission by year-end. Egypt plans to dispatch peacekeepers to replace the Ethiopians, with Somalia allegedly consenting.

After over a decade of gridlocked talks, Ethiopia consistently rebuffed proposals to resolve the dam dispute with downstream Egypt and Sudan, occasionally deeming the matter purely domestic or insisting no harm would come to their interests.

Egypt interprets Addis Ababa’s obstinance as grounds to forge stronger bonds with Ethiopia’s neighbors and fellow Nile basin countries, offering technical support across sectors, dispatching humanitarian aid when required, and cementing military cooperation agreements.