A second shipment of military cargo has arrived in Somalia from Egypt, escalating tensions in the fragile Horn of Africa region. The latest delivery carried aboard a warship, included anti-aircraft guns and artillery, according to security and port officials.
The shipment marks a continuation of the growing military cooperation between Somalia and Egypt as regional alliances shift dramatically.
Defence Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur shared a post on X, formerly Twitter thanking Egypt.
“Somalia has passed the stage where they were dictated to and awaited the affirmation of others on who it will engage with. We know our own interests, and we will choose between our allies and our enemies. Thank you, Egypt.”
Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur
This statement underscores the shifting power dynamics in the Horn of Africa, with Somalia moving away from its former reliance on Ethiopia. For years, Ethiopia was a staunch supporter of Somalia in its fight against the al-Qaeda-linked militant group al-Shabab.
However, Somalia is enraged after Ethiopia signed a deal earlier this year with the self-declared republic of Somaliland to lease part of its coastline — a territory Somalia claims as its own.
Ethiopia voiced concerns over the Egyptian arms shipments to Somalia, worrying that the weapons could destabilize the region. Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Taye Atske-Selasie warned that the arms could fall into the wrong hands, exacerbating security issues.
His concerns are shared by Somaliland, which issued a statement warning that the unchecked proliferation of arms in the region could trigger an arms race. Somaliland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized the danger posed by the “fragile environment” and the risk of various factions seeking to boost their military capabilities.
The delivery of weapons comes at a time of heightened tension between Ethiopia and Egypt, who have long been at odds over Ethiopia’s construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the River Nile.
Egypt views the dam as a threat to its water supply, and the dispute has been a point of contention for over a decade. Now, with Egypt’s growing influence in Somalia, Ethiopia fears that the rising tensions could lead to more instability across the region.
Last month, Egypt delivered a similar shipment of arms to Somalia following a deal signed during Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s visit to Cairo in early August. That delivery also drew condemnation from Ethiopia, which accused Egypt of taking actions that could destabilize the region.
Somali-Ethiopian Ties Fray Over Somaliland Deal
Relations between Somalia and Ethiopia have continued to deteriorate, especially after Ethiopia’s controversial port deal with Somaliland. Somalia has warned Ethiopia that unless it pulls out of the agreement with Somaliland, Ethiopia would need to withdraw its troops from Somali territory.
Currently, Ethiopia has around 3,000 troops in Somalia as part of the African Union force supporting the Somali government in its battle against al-Shabab militants.
At the same time, there are reports that up to 5,000 Egyptian troops could be joining a restructured African Union force in Somalia by the end of the year. Additionally, another 5,000 Egyptian soldiers could be deployed separately, signaling Cairo’s growing military presence in the region.
Ethiopia has further deployed between 5,000 and 7,000 soldiers in various parts of Somalia under bilateral agreements, underscoring the complex web of military involvement in the country.
As Somalia continues to receive military support from Egypt, tensions with Ethiopia have reached a boiling point, with the latter calling for caution and warning of potential repercussions if the situation escalates further.
Somali officials have remained defiant, with Defence Minister Nur dismissing Ethiopia’s concerns, stating that “everyone will reap what they sowed.” The region’s shifting alliances, coupled with rising tensions between Ethiopia and Egypt, have left many fearing that the Horn of Africa is on the brink of further conflict.
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