El-Sisi Tells CIA Chief Egypt Rejects Any Infringement on Somalia’s Sovereignty

CAIRO — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi affirmed Egypt’s full support for efforts to achieve security and stability in Somalia, firmly rejecting any infringement on its sovereignty, unity or territorial integrity, during a meeting with CIA Director John Ratcliffe on Sunday.

The meeting, attended by Head of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service Hassan Rashad, covered bilateral strategic relations and regional developments including the war in Iran, the Gaza ceasefire plan, the Palestinian cause, and the crisis in Sudan.

Ratcliffe expressed US appreciation for Egypt’s active role in supporting security and stability across Africa and stressed the importance of continued coordination between the two countries, particularly on the Sudanese crisis, developments in Somalia and the Horn of Africa, and international maritime security.

A Consistent Egyptian Position

El-Sisi’s remarks to the CIA director are consistent with Egypt’s repeated public stance on Somalia. The two countries elevated their relations to a strategic partnership during President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s visit to Cairo in January 2025, and have since signed a defence agreement and a military cooperation protocol. Egypt has pledged troops to the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), with Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty confirming that the Egyptian contingent will be stationed in the Middle Shabelle region.

Beyond security, the two nations have expanded their partnership into judicial collaboration, trade, and water resource management. The volume of trade exchange between Egypt and Somalia surged 88 percent to $59 million in the first half of 2024, compared to $31 million a year earlier.

Critical Note

Egypt’s reaffirmation of support for Somalia’s territorial integrity during a meeting with the CIA director is diplomatically significant, but it also reflects Cairo’s broader strategic calculus in the Horn of Africa. Egypt’s engagement with Somalia is closely tied to its dispute with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, and its support for Mogadishu serves as a counterweight to Ethiopian influence in the region.

The meeting also underscores the convergence of US and Egyptian interests on maritime security in the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa, particularly following the Houthi advances in Yemen and disruptions to shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. For Somalia, the alignment of US and Egyptian positions on its sovereignty is a diplomatic asset, but the broader regional rivalries that shape Cairo’s engagement carry risks of their own.