The African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council has approved a request by Egypt to deploy troops to the newly endorsed African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
The decision involves the AU, Egypt, Somalia, and Ethiopia, as well as the outgoing African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).
The AUSSOM mission will take over from ATMIS in January 2025, as Somalia continues to build up its security forces.
The deployment will take place in Somalia, within the framework of the AU, amid ongoing tensions in the Horn of Africa region.
Egypt's decision to deploy troops to Somalia is seen as a strategic move to counter Ethiopia's influence in the region, particularly in the context of the ongoing dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Nile River.
The AU Peace and Security Council has endorsed the formation of AUSSOM to replace ATMIS and has approved Egypt's request to contribute troops to the new mission.
The AU Peace and Security Council's approval of Egypt's request to deploy troops to Somalia under the AUSSOM framework comes amidst a warming of relations between Mogadishu and Cairo, as well as an ongoing tiff with Ethiopia.
Egypt has in recent months expressed its continued support for Somalia, particularly after the controversial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Ethiopia and the breakaway region of Somaliland. Analysts view Egypt's entry into the AU mission as a strategic push by Somalia to counterbalance Ethiopia's influence in the region.
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For Egypt, the deployment of troops to Somalia is also seen as a strategic move in its long-standing dispute with Ethiopia over the GERD project. The two countries have been bitterly at odds over the dam, with Cairo accusing Addis Ababa of threatening its access to Nile River water by diverting the river to fill the GERD.
During a meeting with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in January, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned Ethiopia against any threats to Somalia's security. "Egypt will not allow anyone to threaten Somalia or affect its security," Sisi said, adding, "Do not try Egypt, or try to threaten its brothers especially if they ask it to intervene."
The AUSSOM mission will take over from the outgoing ATMIS in January 2025, as Somalia continues its efforts to build up its security forces before it can ultimately take full responsibility for its own security.
