Mogadishu, Somalia – The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E. Dr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has reaffirmed the strength of the historic and strategic relations between Somalia and the Arab Republic of Egypt, underscoring their enduring friendship and growing cooperation.
In an interview with Al-Arabiya channel, the President recalled the deep-rooted ties that link the two nations, noting that Somalia stood by Egypt even before gaining independence.
“Somalia and Egypt have a long historical relationship, and today we are also two strategic friends. This relationship goes back to the period before the independence of Somalia in the fifties of the last century, when Mohamed Abdullahi Nasser was in power and when the Suez Canal was attacked, Somalia had not yet gained its independence, but the Somali people stood by Egypt,” President Hassan Sheikh said.
He further emphasized that the bonds between the two peoples stretch back millennia. “The fact is that our relationship goes back thousands of years, since Queen Hatshepsut visited Somalia more than five thousand years ago. Today Egypt is participating for the first time in the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia,” he noted.
The President explained that Egypt has completed its assessments and deployed officers to study operational areas in preparation for the deployment of its troops under the African Union framework. “Although such operations are accompanied by bureaucratic delays, whether by the African Union, the United Nations or other organizations, Egypt has completed its assessment, and has sent officers to study the terrain and determine the areas where they will operate, and we await the arrival of the first Egyptian troops,” he said.
President Hassan Sheikh also commended Egypt’s longstanding support to Somalia’s security and defense sector. “Egypt has for many years provided direct support to the Somali security and defense forces, through training and the provision of some equipment, so the relationship between Somalia and Egypt is very strong,” he stressed.
