Former Somali president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has criticised President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s recent visits to Ethiopia and Egypt, warning that Somalia risks being drawn into regional rivalries amid tensions over the Red Sea and Nile River.
MOGADISHU (Somali Report) — Somalia's opposition Future Council has criticised President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's recent visits to Ethiopia and Egypt, saying his engagements with leaders of the two countries risk undermining Mogadishu's diplomatic neutrality amid regional tensions.
Former Somali president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed said it was inappropriate for Hassan to visit the two countries within a short period while they remain at odds over strategic and political issues in the Horn of Africa.
"It is a disgrace for Somalia and its diplomacy for the president to visit two groups that are strongly opposed to each other at the same time," Sheikh Sharif said.
He said the Future Council opposed the approach and argued that Somalia's foreign policy should be independent of regional rivalries and focused on the country's national interests.
Sheikh Sharif also warned that decisions involving regional conflicts could have serious consequences for Somalia, particularly if tensions escalated into armed confrontation.
"We have reduced the country to one hand. If something happens in the country or war breaks out, that responsibility will fall on the government leadership and the administration spending national resources in a way that could lead to bloodshed," he said.
Hassan recently travelled to Ethiopia and Egypt, where he held talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
He also met Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki as diplomatic activity intensified around tensions in the Horn of Africa, including disputes over access to the Red Sea and the use of Nile River waters.
The Somali president's engagements came amid growing competition among regional powers over maritime access, security cooperation and strategic influence.
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Hassan, Sisi, Afwerki and Sudanese leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan also attended a meeting in the Egyptian coastal city of Alamein, where the four countries discussed regional cooperation.
A statement issued after the meeting rejected recognition of Somaliland as an independent state and addressed cooperation among the participating countries on regional issues, including the Nile.
Ethiopia reacted negatively to the meeting, describing the outcome as inconsistent with what it expected from Somalia's position on relations between the two countries, according to the account provided.
Ethiopia, a landlocked country, has been seeking reliable access to the sea, while Egypt has longstanding disputes with Addis Ababa over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile.
Somalia's relations with both countries have therefore taken on greater regional significance as diplomatic tensions have intensified.
The Future Council has insisted that Somalia should pursue an independent foreign policy and avoid becoming entangled in political and strategic rivalries between neighbouring states.
The criticism adds to domestic political disagreements over the government's direction, as opposition figures continue to challenge Hassan's decisions on national and regional affairs.
The president's office has not been quoted as responding to Sheikh Sharif's latest remarks.
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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