Somalia has approved a maritime cooperation deal with Egypt, expanding Cairo’s growing Red Sea partnerships following similar accords with Eritrea. The deal comes amid regional competition over maritime access, security and influence in the Horn of Africa
MOGADISHU — Somalia’s Council of Ministers has approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Egypt to strengthen cooperation in maritime transport and port development, reinforcing Cairo’s expanding network of strategic partnerships across the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa.
Approved on July 9, 2026, the agreement establishes a framework for cooperation between Egypt’s Ministry of Transport and Somalia’s Ministry of Ports and Marine Transport. According to the Somalia National News Agency (SONNA), the MoU aims to facilitate technical cooperation, improve maritime infrastructure, strengthen port management and support Somalia’s National Transformation Plan.
The approval follows talks between Somalia’s Minister of Ports and Marine Transport, Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, and Egypt’s Transport Minister Kamel Al-Wazir during Türkiye’s Fifth Maritime Summit in Istanbul on July 2–3, where both sides discussed expanding maritime connectivity and port cooperation.
“The agreement represents an important step toward strengthening bilateral cooperation in maritime transport and port development,” Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur said, adding that it would strengthen Somalia’s position in regional and international maritime trade.
The full text of the memorandum has not yet been released, and neither government has disclosed details regarding financing, implementation timelines, individual projects or operational mechanisms.
Egypt Expands Its Red Sea Footprint
The Somalia agreement follows Egypt’s recent maritime transport and Red Sea port connectivity agreement with Eritrea, signed during Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty’s visit to Asmara.
Following those talks, Egypt and Eritrea reaffirmed their shared position that the governance and security of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden should remain the responsibility of Red Sea littoral states.
Together with Cairo’s longstanding engagement with Djibouti, the agreements reflect Egypt’s broader strategy of expanding maritime partnerships along one of the world’s most strategically important shipping corridors.
Regional Competition Intensifies
The agreement comes as geopolitical competition across the Horn of Africa continues to intensify.
Relations between Egypt and Ethiopia remain strained over several regional issues, including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and Ethiopia’s longstanding pursuit of sovereign maritime access.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has repeatedly stated that Ethiopia will continue seeking sea access through peaceful negotiations while describing direct access to the Red Sea as vital to the country’s long-term economic development and national security.
Earlier this year, Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry accused Egypt of pursuing policies designed to limit Addis Ababa’s regional influence while reaffirming Ethiopia’s commitment to resolving maritime access through diplomacy.
The Egypt-Somalia agreement also follows Ethiopia’s January 2024 memorandum of understanding with Somaliland concerning commercial port access and potential naval cooperation, an agreement that reshaped regional diplomacy and prompted closer coordination among Egypt, Eritrea and Somalia.
That cooperation was formalized during the October 2024 tripartite summit in Asmara, where the leaders of Egypt, Eritrea and Somalia pledged to strengthen cooperation on regional security, border protection and respect for state sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Subsequent coordination has included expanded security consultations, military cooperation under the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), joint training initiatives and continued diplomatic engagement.
Broader Regional Diplomacy
On the same day the maritime agreement was approved, Somalia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Abdisalam Abdi Ali Dhaay, held a telephone conversation with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
According to Somalia’s Foreign Ministry, the ministers discussed strengthening bilateral relations and emphasized protecting international shipping routes and ensuring freedom of navigation through the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden, waterways that carry a significant share of global maritime trade.
Somaliland Disputes Scope of Agreement
The agreement has also renewed debate over its practical geographic scope.
Although Somalia is internationally recognized as sovereign over the territory of the former Somali Republic, Somaliland has exercised de facto administration over its territory and coastline since declaring the restoration of its independence in 1991. Somaliland controls the major Gulf of Aden ports of Berbera, Zeila and Maydh, while managing maritime security, customs and port operations throughout the territory it administers.
Somaliland officials argue that the Federal Government in Mogadishu lacks effective jurisdiction over Somaliland’s coastline and therefore cannot negotiate or implement maritime agreements affecting those waters without Hargeisa’s consent.
They maintain that such consent is unattainable so long as Somaliland continues to assert the sovereignty it says it regained following the dissolution of its 1960 union with Somalia after first attaining independence from Britain on June 26, 1960, while pursuing international recognition as a independent nation.
Mogadishu rejects that position, maintaining that Somalia retains sovereignty over all of its internationally recognized territory, including Somaliland.
Analysts Divided
The agreement has drawn mixed reactions from regional analysts.
Some observers argue that Egypt’s expanding maritime partnerships with Somalia and Eritrea could further complicate regional security dynamics and increase pressure on Ethiopia, while urging Addis Ababa to accelerate implementation of its memorandum with Somaliland.
Others contend that the agreements represent routine cooperation among Red Sea coastal states rather than a coordinated strategy aimed at containing Ethiopia, arguing that regional governments have legitimate interests in strengthening maritime transport, port development and navigation security.
Despite differing interpretations, analysts broadly agree that ports, maritime infrastructure and control of strategic sea lanes have become central to the evolving geopolitical competition in the Horn of Africa. As governments deepen security and economic partnerships around the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, maritime diplomacy is increasingly shaping the region’s political and strategic landscape.
