At the beginning of January, Addis Ababa signed a framework agreement with Somaliland, a self-proclaimed independent territory of Somalia not recognized by the international community. The text grants the Ethiopians access to the sea on the Somaliland coast, as well as the construction of a port and a naval military base. Mogadishu cried violations of its sovereignty. Many members of the international community supported its cause. On Sunday, January 21, the Somali President was in Egypt. He received the full support of President al-Sissi.
Egypt’s support for Somalia could not be more frank. “Cairo will not allow any threat to Somalia or its security,” declared President Al Sissi, even brandishing the threat of armed conflict. “Don’t provoke Egypt; don’t try to threaten our brothers, especially if they ask us to intervene,” he added.
The Marshal’s firm rhetoric goes further than the first official declarations made in Cairo after the signing of the agreement and is a godsend for the Somali President, who is stepping up his international travels to rally as many supporters as possible to his cause. In Cairo, Hassan Cheikh Mohamoud met the Secretary General of the Arab League, a supporter of Mogadishu, and then the President of the Egyptian Assembly.