Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has arrived in Egypt for high-level talks and African meetings as tensions rise across the Horn of Africa and Red Sea region.
ALAMEIN, Egypt (Somali Report) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived in Egypt on Friday with a high-level delegation for talks with Egyptian officials and participation in a series of African meetings in the Mediterranean city of New Alamein.
Mohamud is expected to hold bilateral discussions during his visit, which coincides with the inaugural Alamein Africa Forum, running from October 2 to 4. The forum is bringing together African political leaders, senior officials, financial institutions and business representatives to discuss investment, trade, economic integration and development.
The Somali president's visit is the latest stop in a regional diplomatic tour that has included Ethiopia and Djibouti. He held talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa earlier in the week before travelling to Djibouti, where he met President Ismail Omar Guelleh.
The meetings come as the Horn of Africa faces a series of political and security challenges, including renewed tensions involving Ethiopia and Eritrea, the war in Sudan and continuing instability around the Red Sea.
The African Union Commission on Friday called on Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to exercise restraint and resolve their differences through diplomatic channels, after a series of diplomatic measures between the three countries heightened regional tensions.
Somalia has maintained close relations with Egypt, with cooperation between Mogadishu and Cairo expanding in recent years, particularly in defence and security.
Egypt has publicly backed Somalia's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, while the two countries have discussed strengthening cooperation in security and defence. In June, Somali Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi met Egypt's assistant foreign minister for African affairs in Mogadishu, with both sides discussing closer cooperation in the security and defence fields.
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Egypt has also been involved in international efforts to support Somalia's security. In February, Mohamud visited Cairo and met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, with the two sides discussing bilateral relations, security and regional stability. Egypt also presented Somali officials with its forces prepared to participate in the African Union mission supporting security and stability in Somalia.
The New Alamein meetings give Mohamud an opportunity to discuss both bilateral relations and wider African issues with leaders and officials from across the continent. Egypt is hosting several high-level African gatherings during the October 2-4 period, including the Alamein Africa Forum, the summit of the founding states of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and the African Union Mid-Year Coordination Meeting.
For Somalia, the president's regional tour comes as Mogadishu seeks to strengthen diplomatic and security partnerships with neighbouring and strategically important countries.
His visit to Djibouti focused on strengthening longstanding ties and cooperation in security, economic and political affairs, as well as issues affecting peace and stability in the Horn of Africa.
The sequence of visits to Ethiopia, Djibouti and Egypt also places Somalia at the centre of discussions involving several countries with major interests in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.
Mohamud's arrival in Egypt comes amid an increasingly complex regional environment, with governments across the Horn facing overlapping security, diplomatic and economic challenges. His meetings in New Alamein are expected to focus on bilateral cooperation while also providing an opportunity for broader consultations on regional stability and African development.
About the Author
Ahmed Omar is a senior journalist for Somali Report, based in Mogadishu. He has two decades of experience reporting on Somalia for international and local media. He covers politics, security, governance, business, trade, economic developments and regional affairs.
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