President Mohamud Hails ‘Strategic Friendship’ With Egypt as Cairo Prepares AU Troop Deployment

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has reaffirmed what he called the “historic and strategic” partnership between Mogadishu and Cairo, highlighting deep-rooted ties and new security cooperation as Egypt prepares to send troops under the African Union framework.

In an interview with Al-Arabiya, President Mohamud recalled Somalia’s early solidarity with Egypt, dating back before its independence in 1960.

“Somalia and Egypt have a long historical relationship, and today we are two strategic friends,” he said, noting that Somalis backed Egypt during the 1956 Suez Canal crisis.

The president also pointed to ancient cultural links, citing Queen Hatshepsut’s voyage to Somalia more than 5,000 years ago. “Our relationship goes back thousands of years,” he said.

Egypt, he added, has completed assessments and deployed officers to study operational zones in Somalia ahead of sending its first troops to join the African Union peacekeeping mission. “We await the arrival of the first Egyptian troops,” Mohamud said, acknowledging delays linked to international procedures.

He praised Egypt’s consistent support to Somalia’s security sector, including training and equipment for national forces. “The relationship between Somalia and Egypt is very strong,” Mohamud said.