Breaking News: Egyptian Military Aircraft Arrive in Mogadishu Amid Growing Tensions with Ethiopia

Mogadishu, Somalia — In a significant development, two Egyptian C-130 military aircraft landed at Mogadishu Airport on Tuesday, carrying military equipment and personnel, according to reliable sources. The arrival of these aircraft marks a deepening of military cooperation between Somalia and Egypt, coming at a time of heightened tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia over a controversial Memorandum of Understanding signed between Addis Ababa and Somaliland.

The deployment of Egyptian military assets is part of a broader strategy as Somalia seeks Egypt’s involvement in the upcoming African Union peacekeeping mission, set to replace the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) in January 2025. Egyptian personnel and arms delivered today are expected to play a crucial role in this mission.

The military buildup in Somalia appears to be in full swing, with Egyptian forces poised to take an active role along Somalia’s Hiiraan region, near the Ethiopian border. The presence of Egyptian military observers in this area underscores the growing concerns of a potential proxy conflict, fueled by what some analysts describe as Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s “adventurism” in the region.

A regional expert familiar with recent discussions between Somalia’s leadership and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi highlighted that Egypt has embarked on the process of deploying 5,000 troops to the African Union mission in Somalia, alongside another 5,000 non-mission troops. The total deployment of 10,000 soldiers, which Mogadishu is actively lobbying for within both the African Union and the UN Security Council, signals a significant escalation in military involvement.

The expert further noted that Cairo’s forces will be strategically positioned along the Ethiopian border, particularly in the Gedo, Hiiraan, and Bay-Bakool regions. These deployments will include air and ground personnel equipped with heavy machinery, enhancing the military presence in these sensitive areas.

Sources indicate that the 5,000 non-mission troops will operate independently, further intensifying the military dynamics in the region. This development is likely to exacerbate the already tense relations between Somalia and Ethiopia, with potential implications for the broader Horn of Africa region. As the situation unfolds, all eyes will be on how this military cooperation between Somalia and Egypt will impact the fragile security landscape in the region.