Egypt – Somalia’s Ambassador to Egypt Ali Abdi Aware confirmed yesterday, Saturday, that his country’s relations with Cairo “are witnessing a historic turning point at this stage.”
This came in a statement by the Somali ambassador following the conclusion of a session of talks in Cairo between Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and his Somali counterpart Hamza Abdi Barre, according to what was reported by the official Somali News Agency.
In the same statement, the Somali ambassador praised the Egyptian efforts made to strengthen joint relations between the two countries.
He pointed out that “these relations are historical and fraternal throughout the ages, and are witnessing a historical turning point at this stage and an unprecedented development.”
Ambassador Awari stressed his “keenness to continue his tireless work to strengthen Egyptian-Somali relations at all levels, especially since they have witnessed a major boom during the past period in light of the keenness of the two leaderships to enhance coordination and cooperation between the two sides in all fields.”
He said that his country’s Prime Minister’s visit to Cairo, which began yesterday, Saturday, “reflects the great movement witnessed by Egyptian-Somali relations at this time.”
He expressed his “aspiration for more coordination and cooperation with Egypt during the next stage, especially after Somalia’s success in obtaining a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the years 2025-2026.”
Earlier on Saturday, Madbouly received his Somali counterpart Hamza Abdi Barre and Ambassador Awari, and a number of issues of common interest were reviewed, according to a statement by the Egyptian Prime Minister’s Office.
The statement quoted Madbouly as saying, “Achieving the unity of Somalia and supporting our Somali brothers at this stage is one of the most important priorities of the Egyptian state, which is reflected in the high-level official visits between the two sides over the past period.”
For his part, Berri expressed, according to the Egyptian statement, his “appreciation for the support provided by the Egyptian state to Somalia in this critical circumstance, which is witnessing attempts by some forces to work to divide Somalia.”
On Wednesday, the Somali ambassador to Cairo announced the start of the arrival of Egyptian military equipment and delegations to Mogadishu, while the Ethiopian government said on Thursday that “Egypt is interfering in Somalia” against the backdrop of this development.
The Somali ambassador explained in his statements on Wednesday that this step represents “a prelude to Egypt’s participation in the African Union peacekeeping forces in Somalia (AMISOM), which is scheduled to replace the current African Union Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) by January 2025.”
Relations between Somalia and Ethiopia have deteriorated since the latter concluded an agreement with the Somaliland region on January 1, 2023, granting Addis Ababa permission to use the region’s coasts on the Red Sea for commercial and military purposes, amid Somali and Arab rejection, led by Egypt, which has differences with Addis Ababa over the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam file.
Anatolia
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2024-09-02 14:51:35
