Egypt warns citizens against travelling to Somaliland region

Cairo urged Egyptians currently in Somaliland, a breakaway entity from Somalia that is not recognized by Egypt, to leave as soon as possible via Hargeisa airport, noting that the current security situation in the area restricts the ability to provide consular assistance.

The Egyptian Embassy in Mogadishu also called on those planning to visit any region of Somalia to fully comply with the rules and procedures set by the relevant authorities.

In January, Somaliland agreed to lease 20 kilometres of its coast for 50 years to Landlocked Ethiopia, which wants to set up a naval base and a commercial port in that area on the Red Sea, raising tensions in the Horn of Africa region.

Somaliland, which unilaterally declared independence from Somalia in 1991, has said Ethiopia in return will become the first country to recognize it formally, a step Addis Ababa has yet to confirm.

Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud accused Ethiopia of refusing to recognize Somalia as a sovereign state, renewing his attacks on Addis Ababa’s agreement with a breakaway Somali region.

“Ethiopia refuses to recognise Somalia as a sovereign neighbouring country. Until it recognises the sovereignty of Somalia, we cannot talk about the sea or anything else. Ethiopia violated international law”, the Somali president stated during a national address in August.

For its part, Egypt has repeatedly stressed the necessity of full respect for Somalia’s security, stability, and sovereignty over its lands, expressing its full rejection of any measures that would undermine the sovereignty of the Arab League member.

“Somalia is an Arab state in the Arab League with rights, according to the Charter of the League, to collective defence against any threat it faces,” Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi stressed at a press conference with his Somalian counterpart in Cairo in January.

“We will not allow anyone to threaten Somalia or infringe upon its territory. I say it with utmost clarity, no one should attempt to threaten Egypt’s brothers, especially if our brothers have requested our presence alongside them,” the Egyptian president stated then.

On 14 August, El-Sisi and his Somali counterpart witnessed the signing of a military cooperation protocol between the two countries.

Moreover, the United States, the European Union, China, the African Union, and the Arab League have all called on Ethiopia to respect Somalia’s sovereignty.

Source: Ahram