MOGADISHU (KAAB TV) – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is urgently traveling to Cairo, Egypt, amidst rising tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia following the signing of an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Ethiopia and Somaliland.
Diplomatic sources confirm that President Mohamud is set to meet with Egypt’s Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to enhance “military and security relations” between the two nations.
On Thursday, Somali Military Commander General Ibrahim Sheikh Muhidin visited the navy base at Mogadishu beach, instructing officers to be prepared for the defense of Somali territorial waters, as reported by the state-owned media.
In the capital city of Mogadishu, the drums of war are sounding not only against Ethiopia but also against Somaliland for entering into an MOU with Ethiopia, granting access to the Red Sea.
Ethiopia and Somaliland assert that the MOU will permit the Ethiopian navy to establish a base on the Somaliland coast of the Red Sea, all while Somaliland enjoys international recognition.
The Somali government vehemently opposes the MOU, branding it as “illegitimate.”
President Mohamud’s visit to Egypt coincides with recent trips by senior Egyptian intelligence and military advisers to Mogadishu.
Security sources indicate that Somalia is preparing to grant Egypt a military base.
The longstanding dispute between Ethiopia and Egypt over the use of Nile water for the dam remains a source of contention.
Ethiopia asserts that the dam will generate electricity for its people and neighboring countries, while Egypt, heavily reliant on the River Nile for fresh water, expresses concerns over the Ethiopian project.