Egypt views Somalia as a cornerstone of national, Arab, and African security, Foreign Minister Badr Abdeladlty stated during a panel on state-building in Somalia at the Doha Forum. The discussion centered on coordinated strategies to safeguard the gains achieved in the Horn of Africa nation. In his remarks, the minister underscored the AU’s stabilization mission as the primary mechanism for maintaining stability. He noted that Egypt’s involvement in the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) demonstrates a strategic commitment to Somalia and the broader region. Abdelatty cautioned against ongoing funding gaps and urged international partners to provide sustained and adequate financing to empower the mission to fulfill its duties and back Somali forces during the transition period. He framed Somalia’s security and political challenges as deeply interconnected, calling for a unified international response. The minister warned that some actors’ attempts to turn the region into a battleground for regional rivalry threaten Somalia’s unity and sovereignty and could destabilize the Red Sea area. He outlined Cairo’s long-standing approach to Somalia, which centers on preserving the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and opposing unilateral actions that would alter the status quo. He reiterated Cairo’s unwavering commitment to strengthening Somali state institutions and boosting the country’s capabilities through scholarships and training programs. Abdelatty highlighted training initiatives run by the Egyptian Agency for Partnership for Development (EAPD), Al-Azhar, Egyptian universities, and the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (CCCPA).
