HUDUR, Bakool Region (KAAB TV) – On Friday, regional authorities and residents of Hudur town gathered in protest against the proposed deployment of Egyptian forces in Somalia. The demonstrators voiced strong support for the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) currently stationed in the region, praising their sacrifices in ensuring security for the local population.
Mohamed Abdi, the Governor of Bakool, urged President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to reconsider the plan, suggesting that Egyptian troops be deployed elsewhere, but not in Bakool.
“Egypt has a troubling history of arming clan militias in Mogadishu with tanks and artillery, which led to attacks on our people and the destruction of towns like Hudur,” he said, referencing Egypt’s support for warlords in Mogadishu during the 1990s.
“We will not allow Egyptian soldiers to come here. It is simply not acceptable.”
Women and clan elders who joined the protest also voiced their discontent, pointing to Egypt’s perceived failure to support the Palestinian cause as evidence that it would not be helpful to Somalia.
“If Egypt is doing anything good, why can’t they support the people of Gaza?” said Mohamud Guled, an elder in Hudur who spoke at the protest.
Omar Abdullahi, the District Commissioner (DC) of Hudur, issued a stern warning against any attempts to remove the local forces and Ethiopian peacekeepers.
“We request the President of Southwest State, with the help of Ethiopian forces, to help secure the parts of the region currently under Al-Shabaab,” said DC Omar Abdullahi.
Similar calls against the deployment of Egyptian forces have also emerged from Hiiraan and Gedo regions, where Ethiopian forces serve as the primary security providers against the militant group Al-Shabaab.
Local leaders in these regions have echoed concerns about the introduction of Egyptian troops, citing the longstanding and effective presence of ENDF in maintaining security.
This controversy follows an announcement by the African Union (AU) earlier this month that Egypt is willing to send troops to join the new AU mission in Somalia, set to commence next year.
However, Ethiopia, a current troop-contributing country to the AU mission, has expressed concern over this development.
The tensions between Ethiopia and Egypt are rooted in their historic feud over Nile waters, which has been a longstanding point of contention between the two nations.
Further complicating the situation, Ethiopia is also at odds with Mogadishu over a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that Addis Ababa signed with Somaliland on January 1, 2024.
This agreement has strained relations between Ethiopia and Somalia’s federal government, adding another layer of complexity to the current dispute over the deployment of Egyptian forces.