Somali President Rejects Proxy Wars Amid Rising Tensions Between Ethiopia and Egypt
Ethiomonitor -Addis Ababa
September 24, 2025
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has said that his country will not serve as a battleground for conflicts between Ethiopia and Egypt. In an interview with BBC Focus on Africa, he emphasized that Somalia will not tolerate any form of “proxy war” on its soil.
“There is no reason for Ethiopian and Egyptian peacekeepers to engage in conflict in our nation,” President Mohamud asserted. He stressed that if the two countries wish to go to war, they should do so elsewhere, as their military forces are separated by hundreds of kilometers. “I see no reason why Egypt would disturb Ethiopia, or why Ethiopia would disrupt Egyptian peacekeeping forces in Somalia,” he added.
The president expressed a deep desire to avoid further conflict, stating that Somalia is already grappling with its own challenges and cannot afford to be drawn into external disputes. “We have our own problems. We have our own wars,” he said, vowing that Somalia would not allow foreign nations to fight on its territory.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s government announced last year that countries involved in the African Union’s peacekeeping mission in Somalia would contribute 11,000 troops, including those from Ethiopia and Egypt. Addis Ababa and Cairo are currently embroiled in tensions over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
Ethiopia has had troops stationed in Somalia for two decades, while Egypt deployed forces to the mission last year, following a controversial port deal signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland that sparked discontent in Somalia. Recent diplomatic efforts have led to a resolution between Ethiopia and Somalia, facilitated by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
President Mohamud confirmed that discussions regarding port services between Somalia and Ethiopia are ongoing, noting, “We have no problem if Ethiopia leases a Somali port,” but reiterated that Somalia’s sovereignty and peace remain paramount.
