Egypt has increased its military presence in Somalia following Israel's recognition of Somaliland, fearing Israeli influence in the strategic Horn of Africa, sources told Abu Dhabi-owned outlet The National earlier this week.
The sources claimed that Cairo’s 10,000-strong force has been reassigned to address the growing geopolitical threat.
Cairo views the Horn of Africa as vital to its national security and is particularly concerned that Israel could leverage its new foothold in Somaliland to strengthen ties with Ethiopia, a country with which Egypt has long been embroiled in a dispute over Nile water rights.
Egypt, with more than 2,000 kilometers of coastline along the Red Sea, opposes landlocked nations like Ethiopia gaining access to this vital waterway.
Somalia has strongly condemned Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, marking the first time any nation has officially recognized the breakaway region, which has been de facto separate from Mogadishu since 1991.
Somalia argues that Israel’s move constitutes a violation of its sovereignty. Mogadishu also denounced a 2024 agreement between Somaliland and Ethiopia, which granted the latter access to the Red Sea.
In response to the growing threat, Egypt has strengthened its alliances with countries such as Somalia and Djibouti, both members of the Arab League, as well as Eritrea and Kenya.
Egypt has recently reached agreements to upgrade Doraleh Port, Djibouti, and Assab Port, Eritrea - both strategically located along the Red Sea. The upgrades aim to expand the ports' capacity and accommodate Egypt’s warships.
Egypt began deploying soldiers and military advisors to Somalia in 2024, following the signing of a defense agreement between the two countries.
Egypt has also provided Somalia with weapons and counterterrorism advisors to assist in the fight against the al-Shabaab terror group, which is largely based in Somalia. Furthermore, Egypt is preparing to participate in a new African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia.
"Egypt fully supports the unity, territorial integrity, and security of Somalia," Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told his Somali counterpart, Abdisalam Omer, during a meeting on Saturday at an Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit in Saudi Arabia.
"Egypt absolutely rejects and condemns any unilateral action or attempt to impose parallel entities or create new political realities outside internationally recognized legal frameworks," Shoukry said.
"Egypt does not want Somalia to become prey to Israel, Ethiopia, or any other foreign power," said one of the sources quoted in the article.
'Somaliland perhaps most strategic part of Somalia'
Egyptian military analyst Samir Rajab stated that "Somaliland is perhaps the most strategic part of Somalia. It could be used to disrupt Egypt’s access to the Red Sea through its southern opening."
He added, "The entire Horn of Africa region is of vital national security importance to Egypt. If Israel gains a foothold in Somaliland, the next step could be undermining or overthrowing the Somali government and securing access to the Red Sea for Ethiopia, a landlocked country."