Ethiopia criticises Egypt over planned troop deployment to Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The rivalry between Ethiopia and Egypt could be in the offing following ongoing arrangements by Cairo to deploy hundreds of troops to Somalia, where they will serve under the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).

Ethiopia’s ambassador to Somalia has voiced strong reservations over Egypt’s expected participation in the African Union’s new peacekeeping mission in Somalia, questioning Cairo’s capacity to contribute meaningfully to stabilisation efforts in the Horn of Africa nation.

In an interview with Somali TV, Ethiopia’s ambassador to Somalia, Suleiman Dedefo Woshe, said Egypt lacks a credible record on matters of peacekeeping internationally, adding that it has failed to mitigate ongoing challenges in Libya, Sudan, and the Gaza Strip.

Although he admitted that the prerogative to deploy peacekeeping troops lies with the federal government of Somalia and the African Union, Suleiman Dedefo Woshe said Egypt's presence shall have a limited impact on Somalia's peacebuilding initiative.

"The Egyptian troops will not contribute to the security challenges in Somalia; if they were going to help anyone, they would have helped Palestine, Libya, and Sudan, who are their neighbors," said the Ambassador of Ethiopia to Somalia, Suleiman Dedefo Woshe.

The deployment, he further said, does not threaten Ethiopia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, adding that the country would still defend itself. However, he cautioned that any attempt by Egyptian troops to interfere with Ethiopian peacekeeping operations would be met with appropriate responses.

“Ethiopia cannot be threatened by the presence of Egyptian troops in Somalia,” he said.

Recently, the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) was dragged into the ongoing conflict between the federal government of Somalia and the Jubaland authorities in Gedo, with one of the commanders allegedly asking Somali National Army soldiers to leave Jubaland.

Egypt is embroiled in a tussle with Ethiopia over the construction of the Grand Renaissance Dam along the Nile, which Cairo believes would interfere with the flow of water downstream. Ethiopia is one of the major contributors to the security of Somalia.

GAROWE ONLINE