Egypt, Somalia sign defence pact amid tensions with Ethiopia

Egypt and Somalia signed a defence agreement on Wednesday amid ongoing disputes both countries have with Ethiopia.

The treaty was signed after a two-day visit by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to Cairo, where he held talks with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

The Somali leader’s visit came after Ethiopia signed a deal with the breakaway state of Somaliland last January, giving Ethiopia 20 kilometres (around 12.43 miles) of Somali coastline on which it intends to build a naval base.

Somalia has fiercely condemned this move as an Ethiopian attempt to “annex” its territory, with Egypt also denouncing it.

Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but this has not been recognised by the international community.

An Egyptian statement published after the meeting said that Sisi had "stressed Egypt’s position supporting Somalia’s unity and sovereignty and opposition to interference in it internal affairs".

In his statement, Mohamud focused on the counter-terrorism aspects of the treaty, saying it was a “testament to a future of common defence against the international terrorism we are combating both at home and abroad”.

A suicide bombing and gun attack by the Al-Shabaab extremist group at the Lido Beach in Mogadishu earlier this month killed 37 people and wounded more than 200.

Egypt has its own dispute with Ethiopia over the Great Renaissance Dam the latter has constructed on the Blue Nile. It fears that the dam could deprive it of the life giving water its people need to survive.

It also reportedly sees the potential Ethiopian naval base as a threat to its power in the Red Sea. Landlocked Ethiopia is currently dependent on neighbouring Djibouti for access to the Red Sea, amid hostile relations with neighbouring Eritrea.

The naval base would allow it to diversify its maritime access and threaten Egypt’s presence in the Red Sea.

Tension has been brewing between Ethiopia and Somalia over the base for months, with Egypt providing strong support for the Somali position.

The defence pact with Egypt was announced by Somalia in April, shortly after it recalled its ambassador from Addis Ababa.