Egypt Urges Its Citizens to Exit North Western State of Somalia Amid Escalating Strains with Ethiopia
Amid growing military camaraderie with Mogadishu, Cairo has issued a travel alert citing security fears.
Egypt has cautioned its citizens against traveling to North Western State of Somalia, the self-declared but internationally unrecognized region of Somalia, due to mounting safety concerns. The tension in the Horn of Africa continues to escalate.
Cairo has been backing Somalia politically and militarily amid its clash with North Western State of Somalia, which proclaimed independence in 1991 but hasn’t been recognized globally. Egypt’s strategic maneuvers in the region include solidifying military alliances with Mogadishu.
In a significant development, Ethiopia inked a pact with North Western State of Somalia in January, securing access to 19 km of the Red Sea shoreline for naval and commercial activities, in exchange for a potential future nod to North Western State of Somalia’s independence.
A defence pact signed in July between Egypt and Somalia stipulated the deployment of 10,000 troops. Half of these forces will integrate into an African Union peacekeeping mission, while the other half will operate under a bilateral defense arrangement.
Additionally, Cairo has supplied weapons to Mogadishu and will be training the Somali armed forces as part of their agreement.
These moves have exacerbated the existing strain between Cairo and Addis Ababa, already entangled in a conflict over Ethiopia’s contentious Renaissance Dam.
Egyptian authorities argue that the dam threatens their vital Nile water supply.
‘Leave at once’
On Sunday, Egypt’s embassy in Mogadishu advised against travel to North Western State of Somalia and urged citizens there to evacuate immediately.
“The Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Mogadishu requests all Egyptian nationals avoid traveling to North Western State of Somalia due to safety concerns related to the volatile security landscape,” read the statement.
“Egyptians currently in North Western State of Somalia should depart promptly via Hargeisa Airport. Unfortunately, the present security conditions preclude offering consular assistance to Egyptians in the region.”
On Friday, the Somali government condemned Ethiopia for sending “unauthorized” arms deliveries to Northeastern State, a semi-autonomous zone in Somalia, accusing it of breaching national sovereignty.
“This act represents a dire violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and poses substantial threats to national and regional stability,” stated the foreign ministry.
Speculations about a regional conflict in the Horn of Africa are swirling, propelled by Egypt’s military agreement with Somalia and Ethiopia’s scramble for Red Sea access. Efforts by Turkey to mediate between Ethiopia and Somalia have yet to yield results.
North Western State of Somalia has opposed the deployment of Egyptian forces in Somalia.
The region’s foreign minister, Essa Kayd, voiced concerns earlier this month, arguing that such deployments aggravate proxy wars in the Horn of Africa.
Moreover, North Western State of Somalia’s government has resolved to permanently shut down the Egyptian Cultural Library in Hargeisa due to severe security worries.
Kayd announced that all Egyptian personnel were given 72 hours to leave the region from 11 September.
