Sunday September 22, 2024
FILE - Passengers wait to board a Daalo Airlines flight at Berbera Airport in Somaliland, 2013. © AP
Mogadishu (HOL) — Egypt has reportedly issued an urgent advisory for all Egyptian nationals in Somaliland to leave the region immediately, citing worsening security conditions. The statement, published on Sunday by Egyptian news outlets, urged citizens to depart as soon as possible through Hargeisa International Airport.
"We urge all Egyptian nationals not to travel to the Somaliland region of the Federal Republic of Somalia, given the impact of the unstable security situation on their safety,” the Egyptian Embassy to Somalia said in a statement. It added that the region's instability limits the embassy's ability to provide consular services.
In August, Egypt and Somalia further solidified their military relationship by signing a defence cooperation protocol. During a press conference, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt's backing of Somalia's sovereignty. "Somalia is a sovereign member of the Arab League, and we stand with them to ensure their security," he declared.
Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has openly criticized Ethiopia's involvement in Somaliland, accusing Addis Ababa of violating Somalia's sovereignty. Beyond the Red Sea agreement, Somalia also accused Ethiopia of shipping weapons to the Puntland region in northern Somalia, a move Mogadishu condemned as a serious violation of its territorial rights.
Somaliland, however, has remained defiant, accusing Egypt of destabilizing Somalia through its weapons delivery. In a statement last month, Somaliland claimed the right to enter into such agreements without Mogadishu's approval and reaffirmed its commitment to the deal with Ethiopia.
Adding to the strained relations, Somaliland authorities recently shut down an Egyptian-owned library in Hargeisa. Analysts believe this symbolic gesture is a direct response to Egypt's increasing military support for Somalia's federal government.