Egypt’s foreign minister said Monday that his country will take part in a new African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia, as the two countries draw closer amid tensions with Ethiopia, The recent Somali move between Cairo and Addis Ababa reflects the necessary pragmatism in the complex regional context, where there are no permanent friendships or enmities in politics…
The Somali Foreign Minister, Ahmed Maalim Fiqi, preceded the visit of Somali State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ali Omar, to Ethiopia with a trip to Cairo, where he discussed with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdel Atti, ways to strengthen the historical relations between the two countries and enhance cooperation in the fields of security, education, economic development, and politics.
Abdelatty’s remarks came ahead of the end of the current African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) on December 31, to make way for a new force against Islamist Al-Shabaab insurgents, the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
Abdelatty again affirmed on Monday “Somalia’s sovereignty over (its) entire national soil” and rejected “any dictates or unilateral measures affecting Somalia’s unity, sovereignty and safety”, This month, Turkey brokered a deal to end the nearly year-long bitter dispute between Somalia and Ethiopia.
