Egypt renews rejection of recognition of “Somaliland” and signs maritime MoU with Mogadishu
Egypt renews rejection of recognition of “Somaliland” and signs maritime MoU with Mogadishu amid regional competition over the Red Sea
Egypt renewed its rejection of any recognition of what is called “Somaliland,” affirming that this constitutes a violation of the unity and sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Somalia, during a phone call between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Somali counterpart Abdulsalam Abdi Ali, at a time when the Somali Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding with Egypt’s Ministry of Transport for cooperation in maritime transport and ports.
Egyptian affirmation of Somalia’s unity
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stressed during a phone call with his Somali counterpart on Saturday Cairo’s commitment to Somali territorial unity and its rejection of any measures affecting the country’s sovereignty, including recognition of Somaliland.
The two ministers discussed developments in regional developments, particularly in the Horn of Africa, and Abdelatty reaffirmed his country’s firm position supporting Somalia’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
For his part, the Somali Foreign Minister praised the Egyptian position, expressing his country’s appreciation for the political, security, and developmental support provided by Cairo, and stressed the importance of continued coordination between the two countries on regional issues.
Maritime MoU between Egypt and Somalia
In a related development, the Somali Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding with Egypt’s Ministry of Transport for cooperation in maritime transport and ports.
Somali Minister of Ports and Maritime Transport Mohamed Nur said this step comes “within the framework of strengthening international cooperation, implementing the ministry’s strategic plans, and supporting the National Transformation Plan, contributing to enhancing national interests and elevating Somalia’s status and role in the maritime field.”
For his part, Somalia’s Ambassador to Cairo Ali Abdi Awari said that relations between Somalia and Egypt are witnessing continuous development, stressing that the MoU represents a qualitative addition to the path of bilateral cooperation, opening broad horizons for expertise exchange, capacity building, and developing ports and maritime transport.
Strategic step in the Red Sea and Horn of Africa region
This step carries importance beyond the economic aspect, as it comes at a time when the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Bab al-Mandab, and the Horn of Africa region are witnessing a rearrangement of regional balances.
In a parallel development, in May, Egypt and Eritrea signed a maritime transport cooperation agreement, and Cairo signed a similar agreement with Djibouti at the end of last year, covering maritime transport, logistics, port development, and energy.
Somalia has the longest coastline in Africa on the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, overlooking one of the world’s most important maritime corridors linked to the Bab al-Mandab Strait and leading to the Suez Canal in Egypt, representing an extension of Cairo’s interest in Red Sea security.
Egypt and Somalia have elevated their relations to a strategic partnership covering political, security, and economic fields.
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أجرى معالي وزير الشؤون الخارجية والتعاون الدولي، السيد عبد السلام علي، اتصالًا هاتفيًا مع نظيره المصري الدكتور بدر عبد العاطي. وبحث الوزيران العلاقات الثنائية والتطورات الإقليمية، مؤكدين دعم مصر الثابت لسيادة الصومال ووحدته وسلامة أراضيه ومؤسساته الوطنية. pic.twitter.com/Vn4O1HlKZd
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs 🇸🇴 (@MOFASomalia) July 11, 2026
