El-Sissi reaffirms Egypt's support for Somalia's territorial integrity at Cairo meeting

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi welcomed his Somali counterpart, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, to Cairo on Sunday, for talks on deepening cooperation between their two nations. 

Speaking at a press conference at the Presidential Palace, el-Sissi warned that any threat to Somalia’s territorial integrity would undermine regional security. 

"On the occasion of Your Excellency's visit, I would like to reaffirm Egypt's unwavering support for the unity and territorial integrity of our brotherly nation of Somalia, and our categorical rejection of any measures that undermine this unity, including the recognition of the independence of any part of its territory," he said.

"This would constitute a flagrant violation of the UN Charter and the rules of international law, and a dangerous precedent that threatens the stability of the entire Horn of Africa.”

President Mohamud echoed the sentiment and stressed that that regional stability is a shared priority for African and Arab states. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Somali President:

"The Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, in the Gulf of Aden is a territory of the Arab world. All the neighboring countries of this very important strategic and geographic relevance of this region, all the neighbors are Arab countries.”

El-Sissi said they also discussed Egypt’s anticipated participation in the African Union Mission in Somalia, announced in 2024, and cooperation in combatting terrorism.