Tensions rise as Egypt, Ethiopia clear the decks in breakaway Somaliland

Muhammad Amin

Egypt is citing “security concerns” as it warns its citizens to avoid Somaliland as tensions mount in the Horn of Africa where Somalia and Ethiopia are squaring up against each other.

However Egypt is not standing by. It is lending political and military support for Somalia in its dispute with Addis Ababa over its ambitions to secure access to the Red Sea by warming up to secessionists in Somaliland.

The Egyptian embassy in Mogadishu Sunday issued a statement warning against travel to Somaliland and asking nationals to leave as soon as possible.

Cairo has offered political and military support for Somalia in its dispute with Somaliland, a region that unilaterally declared independence in 1991 but is not recognised by any country.

Ethiopia however sees Egypt’s involvement as attempt to gain a foothold in the Horn of Africa, as its ties with Cairo take strain over its ambitions to dam the Nile as part of efforts to bolster its economy with hydroelectric power.

Landlocked Ethiopia signed a deal with Somaliland in January to use 19km of its Red Sea shores for commercial and naval operations in exchange for future recognition of independence.

A July defence agreement between Egypt and Somalia includes the deployment of 10,000 troops to the country.

Half of Egypt’s soldiers will join an African Union peacekeeping force and the others will be deployed in a bilateral defence arrangement that has seen Egyptian weapons and instructors headed to Somalia.

Egyptian officials say the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam poses an existential threat to its share of Nile water.  Over 95% of Egypt’s population lives along the Nile river.

“The Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Mogadishu urges all Egyptian nationals to avoid travelling to the Somaliland region of the Federal Republic of Somalia due to the impact of the unstable security situation on their safety,” Egypt said Sunday.

“The embassy also calls on Egyptians currently in the region to leave as soon as possible via Hargeisa Airport. It emphasises that the current security situation in the region limits the ability to provide any consular assistance to Egyptians there.”

Mogadishu Friday accused Ethiopia of violating its sovereignty after it sent “unauthorised” arms shipments to the semi-autonomous Puntland region of Somalia and seized three key airports.

“This activity constitutes a grave infringement on Somalia’s sovereignty and poses serious implications for national and regional security,” it said.

Turkey’s attempts to broker reconciliation between Ethiopia and Somalia have so far failed.

Somaliland “foreign minister”, Essa Kayd, stated earlier the Egyptian deployment in Somalia was contributing to proxy conflicts in the Horn of Africa.

Somaliland authorities permanently closed the Egyptian Cultural Library in Hargeisa, citing serious security concerns, and ordered its staff leave the breakaway region within 72 hours, according to Kayd.