What Are Egypt’s Goals for its Military Presence in Somalia?

The recent Egyptian-Somali summit in Cairo, where Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud have signed a joint defense agreement (Egyptian Presidency)
The recent Egyptian-Somali summit in Cairo, where Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud have signed a joint defense agreement (Egyptian Presidency)
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What Are Egypt’s Goals for its Military Presence in Somalia?

The recent Egyptian-Somali summit in Cairo, where Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud have signed a joint defense agreement (Egyptian Presidency)
The recent Egyptian-Somali summit in Cairo, where Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud have signed a joint defense agreement (Egyptian Presidency)

A Somali official’s comment about Egyptian military equipment and delegations arriving in Mogadishu has sparked questions about Egypt’s goals in Somalia, especially with rising tensions with Ethiopia.

Experts told Asharq Al-Awsat that this move likely aims to strengthen ties by “turning agreements into action.”

They believe Egypt’s military presence will focus on training Somali forces and joining peacekeeping missions to help Somalia fight terrorism and maintain its borders.

Opinions are divided. Some see Egypt’s involvement as routine, while others worry it might escalate tensions with Ethiopia, which is already at odds with both Egypt and Somalia.

According to New Somalia, two Egyptian military planes arrived in Mogadishu on Tuesday, carrying equipment and officers as part of a broader strategy in the Horn of Africa. Somalia is seeking to boost its military through international partnerships.

This happens as Egypt prepares to join the African Union’s new mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), set to replace the current mission by January 2025.

While Cairo has not commented, Somalia’s Ambassador to Egypt, Ali Abdi Awari, welcomed the Egyptian military presence, noting that Egypt will be the first to support the Somali army after the current African Union forces withdraw.

The ambassador called this a “key step” in carrying out the agreements made during the recent Egyptian-Somali summit in Cairo, where both countries signed a joint defense deal.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, during a press conference on Aug. 14, announced that Egypt would participate in the renewed peacekeeping mission in Somalia, depending on Somalia’s invitation to do so.

Strategic expert Maj. Gen. Samir Farag says Egypt’s military presence in Somalia has three main goals: Toelp the Somali army improve its skills against al-Shabaab using Egyptian expertise, to support Somalia’s territorial integrity by strengthening its military, and to assist Mogadishu in securing the Suez Canal from the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

Farag does not believe Egypt’s presence is meant to counterbalance other countries in the region, pointing out that Egypt does not have military bases there.

He expects this move to avoid major tensions, especially since Somalia, an Arab country, has requested Egypt’s peacekeeping support as part of their strategic partnership.



UN Peacekeepers in South Lebanon Crossfire

 A peacekeeper of the Spanish Contingent looks through binoculars from a watchpost at the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) barracks near Khiam in southern Lebanon on August 23, 2024. (AFP)
A peacekeeper of the Spanish Contingent looks through binoculars from a watchpost at the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) barracks near Khiam in southern Lebanon on August 23, 2024. (AFP)
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UN Peacekeepers in South Lebanon Crossfire

 A peacekeeper of the Spanish Contingent looks through binoculars from a watchpost at the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) barracks near Khiam in southern Lebanon on August 23, 2024. (AFP)
A peacekeeper of the Spanish Contingent looks through binoculars from a watchpost at the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) barracks near Khiam in southern Lebanon on August 23, 2024. (AFP)

On the deserted border between Lebanon and Israel, Spanish UN peacekeepers have for more than 10 months effectively been caught in a war zone.

Several Blue Helmets have been wounded in the crossfire between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah party, which has also left dozens of Lebanese civilians dead in fallout from the war between Israel and Palestinian fighters in Gaza.

"Sometimes we need to shelter because of the shelling... sometimes even inside the bunkers," said Alvaro Gonzalez Gavalda, a Blue Helmet at Base 964 of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

To reach the base, AFP journalists escorted in a UNIFIL convoy passed through virtually deserted villages. Only the occasional grocer or automotive repair shop were still open along the road where fields have been left charred by bombardment.

The base, surrounded by barbed wire and protected with heavy stone-filled berms, is not far from the town of Khiam, where dozens of houses have been destroyed or damaged, about five kilometers (three miles) from the border.

Over a wall that marks the frontier, the Israeli town of Metula is clearly visible. It has also been emptied of residents, as have other communities on both sides of the boundary.

Peacekeepers of the Spanish Contingent in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol along the Jdeideh-Marjeyoun highway in southern Lebanon on August 23, 2024. (AFP)

Keeping watch

From a watchtower, binoculars help the peacekeepers see further -- into the Syrian Golan Heights occupied by Israel. The area has been a frequent target of Hezbollah fire.

Spanish Lieutenant Colonel Jose Irisarri said their mission, under Security Council Resolution 1701, is to "control the area" and help the Lebanese government and armed forces establish control south of the Litani River, which is around 30 kilometers from the border with Israel.

The resolution ended a war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.

It called for all armed personnel to pull back north of the Litani, except for Lebanese state security forces and United Nations peacekeepers.

While Hezbollah has not had a visible military presence in the border area since then, the group still holds sway over large parts of the south.

When Hamas fighters from the Gaza Strip attacked Israel on October 7, triggering war with Israel, Hezbollah opened what it calls a "support front" a day later, launching rockets and other fire from southern Lebanon against Israeli positions.

Israel has hit back with air strikes and artillery fire.

"Some of these villages are completely empty. There is no one living there because of the risk and the constant attacks they are suffering," Irisarri said.

Peacekeepers of the Spanish Contingent sit in a building at the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) barracks near Khiam in southern Lebanon on August 23, 2024. (AFP)

The Security Council first established UNIFIL in 1978 after Israel invaded south Lebanon. Its mission was expanded after the 2006 war.

Now, with fears of a wider regional war in which Lebanon would be on the front line, the UN's Under Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix said UNIFIL's role is "more important than ever".

Spain's contingent of 650 soldiers, based at several positions, are among around 10,000 troops from 49 countries in the mission.

"It's the only liaison channel between the Israeli side and the Lebanese side in all its components, such as Hezbollah," Lacroix told AFP in early August.

UNIFIL's mandate expires at the end of August and Lebanon has asked for its renewal.

Cross-border violence since the Gaza war started has killed 601 people in Lebanon, mostly Hezbollah fighters but also including at least 131 civilians, according to an AFP tally.

The Israeli authorities have announced the deaths of at least 23 soldiers and 26 civilians since the fighting began, including in the annexed Golan Heights.

A dog sits near a peacekeeper at the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Spanish Contingent barracks near Khiam in southern Lebanon on August 23, 2024. (AFP)

Far from home

The Spaniards don't just limit themselves to their core mission. They also give "support and some help" to the local population, Irisarri said.

As an example, he said their psychological team assists students with special needs.

AFP was unable to visit the school during its tour on Friday, after the Spanish contingent raised the security level following exchanges of fire in the area.

Israeli strikes in Lebanon's south on Friday killed seven Hezbollah fighters and a local child, according to Hezbollah and Lebanon's health ministry. Israel said its military aircraft had hit "terrorist" targets.

The peacekeepers have little time to rest, but have the company of two adopted dogs.

When they do have leisure time, "we go to the gym to keep fit and also we enjoy watching movies and talking to some friends", said Gavalda.

He has been in Lebanon since May.

"We miss our families," but internet enables them to stay in touch almost daily, Gavalda said.