Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia leaders hold Tripartite Summit in Asmara
Presidents Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi of Egypt, Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea, and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia met in the Eritrean capital Thursday for a Tripartite Summit focused on strengthening relations between the three countries and addressing regional security concerns.
The summit, hosted by President Afwerki, signals a new alliance between the three nations. The Egyptian delegation included Abbas Kamel, chief of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service, and Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.
The meeting comes amidst rising tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia over Ethiopia’s illegal maritime agreement with Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia. The agreement has raised concerns among international stakeholders, including the African Union (AU), which has a mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
Somalia is preparing to determine the composition of its upcoming AU Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) following the expiration of the current mission. Hussein Moalim, Somalia’s national security advisor, stated that Somalia will not allow Ethiopian troops to participate in the new mission unless Ethiopia withdraws from the agreement it signed with Somaliland earlier this year.
“Somalia would not consider Ethiopian troops to be part of the new mission unless it withdraws from the illegal memorandum of understanding signed with [Somalia’s breakaway region of] Somaliland earlier this year,” Moalim said Thursday in an interview with VOA Somali.
Somalia views the memorandum of understanding, signed in January, as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The agreement grants Ethiopia access to a 20-kilometer stretch of the Red Sea coastline in exchange for potential recognition of Somaliland’s independence.
The agreement has led to a diplomatic rift between Somalia and Ethiopia, including the expulsion of the Ethiopian ambassador from Mogadishu and threats to remove thousands of Ethiopian troops stationed in parts of south and central Somalia.
Egypt and Eritrea both support Somalia’s sovereignty and oppose the agreement.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has previously affirmed his country’s support for Somalia’s unity and stability, citing the country’s ongoing instability.
“We don’t support Somalia because of Ethiopia. We support them because they have been in a state of instability for 30 years,” President Al-Sisi said during a conversation with dignitaries on the sidelines of a ceremony for the graduation of a new batch of police academy graduates on Sunday.
President Al-Sisi’s comments follow a week of increased attention on Egypt’s role in supporting Somalia’s stability. Two weeks ago, a cargo ship carrying a significant amount of military aid from the Egyptian Armed Forces arrived in Somalia.
“We know our interests and we will choose between our allies and our enemies. Thank you, Egypt,” said Somalia’s Defence Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, emphasizing the strengthening of defence ties between the two countries.
The military support, one of the largest modern arms shipments Somalia has received from its international allies, marks a further step in solidifying Somalia’s growing influence on the global stage. This was the second military aid shipment sent from Egypt.
In August, Egypt and Somalia signed a defence pact and military cooperation protocol during a visit by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to Cairo. The agreement reaffirms the commitment of both countries to strengthening bilateral ties and bolstering regional security.
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