Somalia
Egypt has launched a multi-nation diplomatic mobilization to secure the immediate release of Egyptian sailors held aboard the hijacked cargo ship MT Eureka off the coast of Somalia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Monday.
Assistant Foreign Minister for African Affairs Mohamed Karim Sherif highlighted the importance of an intervention by the Somali authorities to secure the release of Egyptian sailors hijacked aboard the oil tanker M/T Eureka.
Following directives from President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Egyptians Abroad Badr Abdelatty met on Saturday, April 18, with Dr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Somalia, on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. Abdelatty affirmed Egypt’s rejection and condemnation of appointment of diplomatic envoy to so-called “Somalilandand.”
He described it as an important historic step in completing the process of building Somali state institutions and consolidating the foundations of a constitutional system based on the rule of law, the separation of powers, respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, and the affirmation of the country's unity across its various regions.
The talks between the two presidents will address ways to strengthen bilateral relations between Egypt and Somalia, in addition to exchanging views on the latest regional and international issues of common interest.
The Egyptian and Somali Foreign Ministers also exchanged views on ways to promote peace, security, stability, and development across the African continent. They discussed preparations for the upcoming African Union Peace and Security Council session, to be held under Egypt’s current chairmanship, focusing on developments in Somalia. They agreed on the importance of continued coordination and consultation at both bilateral and multilateral levels, particularly in light of the forthcoming African Union Summit and Somalia’s membership in the United Nations Security Council, to advance the shared interests of both countries and their peoples.
The consultations addressed the issue of irregular migration, with Minister Abdelatty reaffirming Egypt’s commitment to addressing the phenomenon and its repercussions. He emphasized the importance of continued coordination with Greece within a comprehensive and balanced approach that integrates humanitarian considerations with economic development. He also stressed the need to expedite the implementation of the agreement on the recruitment of seasonal Egyptian workers to Greece.
During the meeting, the Foreign Minister is scheduled to deliver Egypt’s statement and hold a series of bilateral meetings with a number of officials on the sidelines of the session.
The foreign ministers of Egypt, Algeria, Bangladesh, Comoros, Djibouti, Gambia, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Turkey, and Yemen, along with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, have strongly condemned an Israeli official’s illegal visit to Somaliland, a region of the Federal Republic of Somalia, on Jan. 6.
Egypt’s permanent representative to the United Nations said that any Israeli recognition of the “so-called Somaliland” would fuel instability in the Horn of Africa and pose a real threat to international peace and security.
Egypt has affirmed its complete rejection of any unilateral actions that infringe upon the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of states, stressing that such actions violate established principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.
The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Monday afternoon after Israel’s unilateral recognition of the Somali breakaway region of Somaliland.
“Does anyone know what Somaliland is, really?”
The statement included the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and a cross-regional group of countries: Egypt, Algeria, Comoros, Djibouti, Gambia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Türkiye, and Yemen.
In March, American and Israeli officials told AP that Israel and the US and Israel discussed with three African countries of Sudan, Somalia, and brealaway region of Somalia (aka Somaliland) to deport and displace the Palestinians from occupied Palestinian territories to the African territories.
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi expected to receive Somali counterpart, President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud in El Alamein city on Monday.
The foreign minister reaffirmed Egypt’s firm and supportive stand regarding Somalia’s security, stability, unity and territorial integrity.
The summit aims to outline the participation and contributions of countries providing military and police personnel to the African mission set to be deployed in Somalia.
Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Minister Badr Abdelatty had talks on Wednesday with his Somali counterpart Ahmed Moallim Fiqi.
The message addresses strengthening and developing bilateral relations in various fields, besides tackling a number of regional issues of common interest to the two countries, Ambassador Tamim Khallaf, the official spokesman for the Egyptian Ministry said in the statement.
