Egypt ships more heavy military gears to Somalia --[Reported by Umva mag]

Somalia has received “the largest shipment of military aid” since the United Nations lifted its arms embargo on the country in December 2023.

 According to reports monitored on social media, an Egyptian military cargo vessel arrived in Mogadishu on Sunday, delivering heavy artillery, anti-tank weapons, and armored vehicles, marking a significant boost to Somalia’s defense capabilities.

Residents in Mogadishu have shared videos, showing the unloading of a ship that was docked at a seaport, with heavy military hardware taken to the city.

Security forces blocked off the quayside and surrounding roads on Sunday and Monday as convoys carried the weapons to a defense ministry building and nearby military bases, according to a resident of the city on social media.

The delivery is part of a bilateral defense pact signed between Egypt and Somalia in August 2024.

Somalia received similar military aid from Egypt last month with an agreement with the North African country to deploy some troops to the country, a move which has sent jitters in Ethiopia.

Addis Ababa’s relations with Somalia and Egypt have been marked by tensions.

Garowe online media in breakaway Somaliland reported that the shipment was received by Somalia’s Defense Minister, Army Chief, and other high-ranking government officials at Mogadishu’s port.

The defense agreement between the two nations, signed during Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s visit to Cairo, aims to strengthen security cooperation between the two countries.

This increased military cooperation between Egypt and Somalia occurred against a backdrop of tensions between Mogadishu and Addis Ababa.

It followed Ethiopia’s recent memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Somaliland to allow the landlocked country port access for its trade.

There is also lingering tension between Ethiopia and Egypt over the building on the Nile of a hydroelectric dam which Cairo says will compromise its share of water from Africa’s longest river.

MG/as/APA

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