Somalia says no to Egyptian and Ethiopian peacekeepers clashing on its soil

FILE: Egyptian soldiers secure the area around Nasser City, in Cairo, 4 July 2013 - Copyright AP Photo

There will be no "proxy war" between Egypt and Ethiopia on Somali soil, according to the country's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has said there is no possibility of Egyptian and Ethiopian peacekeepers clashing in his country, amid a bitter rivalry between the two regional heavyweights.

Egyptian troops are set to arrive in the nation soon as part of the African Union Somalia peacekeeping mission (AUSSOM), which also includes Ethiopian soldiers.

Egypt's participation in the new mission has angered Ethiopia, with the two countries locked in a long-running diplomatic dispute over the control of the Nile River waters.

Mohamud told the BBC that there will be no "proxy war" between Egypt and Ethiopia on Somali soil.

"Since the two countries' armies are not close to each other in Somalia, there is no chance of conflict," he said in an interview, adding that their troops would be stationed hundreds of kilometres apart.

"I see no reason why Egypt wants to disturb Ethiopia. I also see no reason why Ethiopia wants to disturb the Egyptian peacekeeping forces in Somalia," he added.