Addis Abeba — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi issued yet another message targeting red Sea security on Sunday, pledging to work for its safety while vowing to intensify military support to Somalia.
The remarks came after high-level talks with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in the Egyptian coastal city of El Alamein, where both leaders pledged their strategic alliance amid mounting tensions in the Horn of Africa.
The official readout from Egypt says the two leaders discussed in detail on ways of deepening bilateral ties and addressing regional developments, particularly the security and stability of Somalia, the Horn of Africa, and the Red Sea region, repeating President el-Sisi's earlier stand targeting Ethiopia's bid to get access to the Red Sea.
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The President's remarks on the so-called safety and stability of the Horn of Africa, and the Red Sea region became much more propounded after Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland in early 2024, which initially offered Addis Abeba access to a leased military base and commercial port in exchange for possible recognition of Somaliland.
Although the MoU has since been muted on both sides, Ethiopia's continued pursuit of direct access to the sea is still met with suspicious hostilities both from Egypt and Somalia. Somalia had denounced the deal as a violation of its territorial integrity, although Turkish mediated talks played a role in repairing souring diplomatic relations; and Egypt has warned it could destabilize the region and threaten Suez Canal-bound trade.
Beyond the diplomatic rhetoric, Egypt has since consolidated its expanding military footprint in Somalia when it signed a bilateral defense agreement in August 2024. Since then Cairo has been training and arming Somali special forces fighting the al-Shabab insurgency and Egyptian forces have become part of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSONM), an outcome welcomed by President Mohamud.
This was further followed by a tripartite summit in Asmara between Egypt, Somalia, and Eritrea, where the three countries agreed to enhance cooperation to protect Somalia's land and maritime borders. The joint statement issued at the time emphasized "unequivocal respect for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of countries in the region."
In a readout following Sunday's talks, Villa Somalia said the two leaders are committed to enhancing cooperation in key sectors including security, education, trade, fisheries, and energy, while Hassan Sheikh posted on X the two sides "explored various avenues to strengthen Somalia-Egypt ties across key strategic areas."
Despite these regional backlash, Ethiopia maintains that its quest for direct access to sea are rooted in principles of reciprocity and mutual benefit.
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In a briefing delivered to parliamentarians on 03 July, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed repeated his earlier remarks that Ethiopia's pursuit of gaining access to the sea remains peaceful but said the country has a sovereign right to the access.
"Our desire is to sow good seeds. We want access to sea based on the principle of mutual benefit, not by force. We want to achieve everything peacefully. We respect their sovereignty," he said, adding that "Ethiopia is a sovereign country, and for this to be complete, our neighbors must respond positively for Ethiopia to get access to a sea."
