Somalia is in advanced negotiations with Egypt and Saudi Arabia to establish a tripartite security cooperation agreement centered on the Red Sea region, according to government sources cited by the Garowe Online news portal.
Sources indicate that the agreement is currently being finalized. It aims to "enhance strategic security coordination, develop military ties, and strengthen the joint role of the three nations in ensuring regional stability."
As part of the final push for the pact, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is expected to visit Saudi Arabia in the coming days.
The move follows a significant shift in Mogadishu’s foreign policy. The Somali Cabinet recently moved to terminate all standing agreements with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), including defense and security cooperation as well as port access in the Gulf of Aden. Somali authorities cited the protection of national integrity and constitutional order as the primary reasons for the break. Media reports suggest this pivot occurred under pressure from Riyadh, which has grown increasingly dissatisfied with the UAE’s independent actions in Yemen.
While Saudi Arabia has long maintained political support for Somalia’s territorial integrity and its fight against the radical Islamist group Al-Shabaab, it has historically stopped short of providing direct military aid. Garowe Online notes that this new agreement would mark Saudi Arabia’s first direct involvement in bolstering Somalia’s military capabilities—a development that could have far-reaching implications for the geopolitical balance across the Horn of Africa.
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Based on materials from TASS