Egyptand

Somalia

Not for sale

Free of charge

SIS Chairman

Diaa RashwanAuthor

Abdelmoeti AbouzaidHead of Foreign Information Sector

DocumentationMohamed El-Hussini

TranslationSally Hassan

LayoutEng. Rania Saleh

CoverAbeer Ahmed

Printing Supervision Eng. Eman Gaafar

Technical Supervision Hossam Amin

Tel. : 002 02 22610761

Fax.: 002 02 22608444

Email :

Web Site :

Cairo

2019

3 Al-Estad Al- Bahary St., Nasr

City, Cairo

Publisher State Information

Service

Content

This series ...................................................................................... 5

This book . ...................................................................................... 7

Chapter I: History and Development of Relations between Egypt and Somalia...................................................................................9

Chapter II: Political relations.......................................................... 15

Chapter III: Economic and Trade Relations .....................................27

Chapter IV: Cultural and Media Relations.......................................31

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5

This series:

Egypt’s presidency of the African Union in 2019 is seen as a tribute from its African brothers and a trust that is cherished by Egypt and President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

Egypt, on all levels, considers this leadership an honor, a responsibility and a trust that should be met to achieve all the interests of the African continent and to promote solidarity among its peoples.

As part of its mission and role as an Egyptian public information institution, the State Information Service has launched a series of activities in the fields of visual, electronic and printed media.

Among those activities, the SIS is issuing this series of books that are printed or published electronically on the SIS website, starting with the issuance of a comprehensive book entitled «Egypt and Africa» and then, the publication of a series of books; each focuses on an African country and Egypt’s relations with it, so as to reinforce understanding among the peoples of the continent, enrich the Egyptian people knowledge on the African brothers, communicate with the African peoples in their own languages and raise the awareness of the readers in Africa and everywhere else on the people of each country in the continent, their potentialities and their role in the march of human civilization.

We hope that this series of books would act as a nucleus of a comprehensive African Library and would boost the mutual interest of the peoples of the continent in pursuit of a better tomorrow for all of us.

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7

This book:

Ties between Egypt and Somalia are far beyond the present moment, deeper than the geographical proximity and the Arab-Islamic identity they share, and broader than the economic and cultural cooperative relations.

The Egypt- Somalia relations are the fruit of the aforementioned ties. Historically, the relations between ancient Egyptians and the region of the land of Punt dated back a long time. In modern times, Egypt, under the leadership of Gamal Abdel Nasser, was an influential partner in all stages of Somalia’s battle for independence and the building of its modern State.

Following the outbreak of the civil war in Somalia in 1991, Egypt sought solutions to put an end to the fighting, hosted several conferences on Somalia and took part in all international initiatives aimed to achieve stability in Somalia.

In recent years, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has paid great attention to develop the Egyptian-Somali relations supporting efforts to achieve peace, stability and development for the brotherly people of Somalia. In this context, Egypt witnessed eight Somali presidential visits from 2014 to 2019, as former Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud paid five visits to Cairo in June, November, December 2014 and March 2015. Also, President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo visited Egypt in August 2017, February 2019 and April 2019. Since then, the relations between the two countries have been significantly strengthened especially in the fields of culture and economy.

This book, published in Arabic and English versions, attempts to emphasize the relations between the two countries relying on credible Egyptian and Somali sources as well as to provide an overview of the profile of the Federal Republic of Somalia at various levels so as to enrich the knowledge of the Egyptian and Arab peoples of the friendly African country.

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Chapter I

History and Development of

Egypt - Somalia Relations

In the past, Somalia was one of the most important centers of trade in the ancient world; Somali sailors and traders were the main suppliers of frankincense (mastic), myrrh and spices, which were considered the key products for ancient Egyptians, Phoenicians and Babylonians who established business relations with Somali trader.

The historical relationship between ancient Egyptians and the land of Punt (Somalia now) goes back a long time, perhaps when Queen Hatshepsut, the fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty, sent an expedition in the Red Sea carrying gifts and Egyptian goods such as papyrus and linen to the land of Punt. The King of Pont received the expedition well, and then sent large quantities of rare animals, timber, incense, ebony, ivory, leather and precious stones to Queen Hatshepsut who engraved the news of the expedition in bright colors and beautiful engravings on the walls of the Dayr Al-Bahri temple (The Monastery of the Sea) on the west bank of the Nile in Luxor governorate in bright colors.

In recent times, the brotherly bilateral relationship between Egypt and Somalia became more entrenched when Egyptians, under the leadership of late President Gamal Abdel Nasser, sided with the Somalis in their fight against colonialism.

President Nasser declared his support for the Somali forces of the nation to maintain the Arab-Islamic identity of Somalia and the integrity of the Somali land. By 1955, when Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke

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-the Somali leader who became the prime minister and then the president of Somalia- aspired to establish an army to withstand the enemies of his country, he toured Europe to obtain support but no country responded. He came to Egypt to meet President Nasser and he said «My meeting with leader Gamal Abdel Nasser was a turning point in our history…Nasser decided to provide us with weapons…He said he would share the weapons Egypt had…He kept his promise and word. A strong relationship was established between the Egyptian army and the Somali one. Since then, Nasser has been quick to meet all the demands we put forward, and has been keen on preparing a generation of well-educated and qualified young people to undertake the affairs of the country…He was keen to see Somalia stable and prosperous assuming a prominent position as one of the beacons of the Arab and Islamic culture among the countries of the region».

Thus, Egypt was an influential partner to Somalia in all stages of the battle for the independence and the building of the modern State. On 17/4/1957, the precious blood of Egyptians has mixed with the blood of the Somali brothers when the treacherous hands of colonialism extended to assassinate the distinguished Egypt’s representative to the Somali Advisory Council the diplomat Mohamed Kamal Al-Din Salah was in charge of strengthening the foundations of the newly established modern State of Somalia through reinforcing the political and governmental institutions. The assassination grieved the Somali and Egyptian peoples and affirmed their shared destiny, as both countries were confronting colonialism and domination at that time.

At the meeting of the United Nations Trusteeship Council on Somalia, Dr. Mohamed Hassan, Egypt’s representative to the Somali Advisory Council (who succeeded Mohamed Kamal Al-Din Salah) when asked about the appropriate time for the independence of Somalia, he said: «Somalia deserves independence since its people were born free, and no one shall enslave them, and for this purpose we spare no effort for our brothers in Somalia».

Egypt was at the forefront of the countries that recognized the independence of Somalia in 1960, and provided all support and assistance to the brotherly Somali people after independence.

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In October 1961, President Nasser received Somali President Aden Abdulle Osman in Egypt with a warm hospitality and hosted him in the presidential palace. The two Presidents discussed the situation of Somalia alongside several African issues. This visit had great impact on the march of the Egyptian-Somali relations.

When the Somali revolution led by President Siad Barre took place, he declared: «The Somali revolution is the legitimate and faithful child of the July 23th revolution and the thought of the revolutionary leader Gamal Abdel Nasser”, which reflected the impact of the Egyptian role on the Somali thought and the leaders of Somalia.

Just as Egyptians stood by Somalia in their struggle against British and Italian colonialism, they were also ready to backing Somalia in the post- independence period in various areas, especially in education, where Egyptian schools and professors were present in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, along with Al-Azhar missions and teachers who played a major role in spreading the science and teachings of moderate Islam over Somalia. This emphasized the respect and friendliness of Somali scientists to the Holy Azhar. Also, the Egyptian missions have played a leading role in creating cadres in the sector of education and its Arabization in Somalia.

In an affirmation of the brotherly bilateral relations between the two countries, the former Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre paid a historic visit to Egypt in 1971. The visit was welcomed by late President Anwar Sadat, as it opened wide horizons of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries. In the following years, a number of key agreements were signed between Egypt and Somalia in various fields, especially economy and education. The most important of these agreements were the air transport agreement in 1974, the trade agreement in 1978 and the cooperation agreement between the Egyptian Institute for Diplomatic Studies and its Somali counterpart in 1989. In addition, Somalia acceded to the Arab League in 1974 through the efforts of Egypt.

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Support Somalia in the Face of Civil WarBefore the civil war in Somalia, Egypt exerted great efforts to

prevent the hostilities. Cairo and the Egyptian embassy in the Somali capital of Mogadishu hosted meetings that brought together officials of the regime of Mohamed Siad Barre and the opposition fronts so as to avoid the armed conflict and to resolve the political crisis between the government and the opposition parties through peaceful means. This was represented in the Egyptian-Italian Initiative in 1989, however, due to the strong interventions by some of the neighboring countries, those efforts were unsuccessful and Somalia entered into a civil war that claimed the lives of thousands of innocent citizens.

After the outbreak of the civil war in Somalia in 1991, Egypt exerted considerable efforts to stop the bloodshed and protect the integrity of the Somali land. Egypt took part in all international efforts aimed to maintain the unity of the Somali people. It also organized a number of reconciliation conferences to end the internal fighting in the capital Mogadishu and bring peace to all parts of Somalia with the participation of most of the rival factions. Among those conferences, the reconciliation conference held in Cairo on 12/11/1997 which has concluded with a number of decisions that contributed to ending the civil war and was known as “Cairo Declaration”. In addition, Egypt participated in the High-Level Partnership Forum on Somalia in November 2014, followed by its participation with the Arab League in another activity aimed to support the endeavors to achieve political stability in Somalia. Egypt also played a role in all international fora on Somalia, such as the Khartoum Conference in 2006 and the Djibouti Conference in 2008, which resulted in the election of former Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

Moreover, Egypt played an active part in the Operation Restore Hope in 1992 in support of Somalia, and decided to send over 700 troops to the capital Mogadishu as part of the international task force to save victims of the famine in 1992. By virtue of its ancient relations with Somalia and its status in the hearts of the Somalis, Egypt’s forces were in charge of securing the vital installations in the capital Mogadishu, such as the airport, the port and other important

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installations in the city. These forces also played a significant role in the humanitarian relief operations, as they distributed aids to villages and communities close to their concentration points and established field hospitals to treat 300 to 400 patients per day at that time.

The Egyptian efforts, which were part of the international task forces (UNISOM), were not limited to humanitarian relief, but also extended to rebuilding the Somali forces, as the Egyptian forces trained about 20% of the Somali police forces and provided them with weapons, equipment and communications devices before their withdrawal from Somalia with the rest of the international forces in 1995.

Somalis in EgyptDuring the civil war, thousands of displaced Somalis arrived

to Egypt, where they were offered free education and treated like Egyptians in schools and universities. This brotherly approach has resulted in the graduation of thousands of well-qualified young Somalis from Egyptian universities, some of them held offices in the central and regional government of Somalia, while others became professors and were giving lectures in Somali universities and other universities in neighboring countries.

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Chapter II

Political relations

Egypt is an active member of the International Economic Group on the Somali problem and is keen to participate in all the meetings of the Group. Egypt made great international moves in recent years to mobilize support for the Somali cause and urged international forces to contribute to the reconstruction of the Somali national institutions due to the paramount importance of Somalia and its role in maintaining the Egyptian national security. Besides, an Egyptian delegation headed by the then Prime Minister Eng. Sherif Ismail participated at the London Conference on Somalia on May 10-11, 2017 in cooperation with the United Nations, the Somali government and the British government so as to discuss support for stability and peace in Somalia.

Egypt is a member of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, as it chairs the Working Group IV which is concerned with supporting diplomatic efforts and raising awareness on piracy. It is worth mentioning that Egypt hosted the second Meeting of the Contact Group in March 2009.

Political relations between the two countries have been promoted at the highest levels in recent years, resulting in the advancement of Egypt-Somalia relations in all fields. This is in addition to President Sisi’s ongoing consultation on the issues of the Horn of Africa in particular and the African continent in general.

Eight Egypt - Somalia SummitsA large number of meetings have been held between Egypt and

Somalia from 2014 to 2019. Eight summits have been convened in Cairo during the visits of the current and former Presidents of Somalia.

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These visits and summits are as follows:

• On 9/6/2014, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud visited Cairo to attend the inauguration ceremony of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, during which he held a summit meeting with President Sisi to discuss means of strengthening and pushing forward bilateral relations between the two countries, supporting Somalia in its fight against terrorism and building its State security institutions.

• On 19/11/2014, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia visited Egypt to participate in the high-level Ministerial Partnership Forum on Somalia. The President was received by President Sisi, where the two presidents discussed ways to achieve peace in Somalia as a prerequisite for stability and development.

• On 29/12/2014, President Sisi received Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in Egypt, where the later stressed the depth and importance of the historic relations between the two countries, expressed his appreciation for the continued Egyptian support for his country, and praised the approval of President Sisi on increasing number of scholarships for Somali students in Egypt.

• On 13/3/2015, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud visited Egypt to take part in the Egyptian Economic Development Conference. The Somali President held a meeting with President Sisi on the sidelines of the Conference.

• On 27/3/2015, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud visited Egypt to attend the 26th Summit of the League of Arab States and was received by President Sisi.

• On August 20, 2017, President Mohamed Abdullah Formajo of Somalia made his first visit to Egypt since he was elected President of Somalia in February of the same year.

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo at the Presidential Palace, where he welcomed his

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visit and congratulated him on his election as President of Somalia. President Sisi praised the distinguished and deep relations between Egypt and Somalia, affirming Egypt’s intention to continue to provide all support to Somalia to build and consolidate the State institutions, especially the Somali National Army. Also, he stressed to continue the cooperation in the field of building the capacity of the people of Somalia in various developmental fields through programs and courses, in addition to increasing the scholarships Egypt offered to Somali students. He also expressed Egypt’s interest to follow up the activation of various aspects of bilateral cooperation with Somalia, particularly at the economic and trade levels, especially in fisheries and livestock. Moreover, the President pointed out the need to follow up the implementation of the outcomes of the visits of several Egyptian ministries to Somalia to push forward the cooperation between the two countries.

The Somali President expressed his pleasure with his first visit to Egypt since election and hailed the cooperation and historical relations between the two brotherly countries. Besides, he praised Egypt’s historic role in supporting Somalia and standing by its side and welcomed the activation of cooperation between the two countries in various fields. He also asserted the need to work to bolster economic and trade relations, giving that there are broad prospects for the development of these relations in many areas.

Furthermore, the President of Somalia expressed his country’s appreciation for Egypt’s technical support in various fields, and advocacy for Somalia’s interests in regional and international forums, stressing the depth of relations between the two countries.

In this context, President Sisi affirmed Egypt’s unwavering support for the unified federal Somalia and its sovereignty, emphasizing Egypt’s continued support for Somalia in the UN Security Council and the African Peace and Security Council. The President also stressed that Egypt’s foreign policy are based on non-interference in the affairs of other countries and cooperation with them for upholding the process of building and development.

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• On 21/8/2017, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and the Chairman of the Council of Muslim Elders Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb received the Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo. The two sides discussed the role played by Al-Azhar through its scholars and missions to spread moderate teachings of Islam and to confront extremist ideologies. They also tackled means of cooperation between Al-Azhar and Somalia in the fields of science, religion and culture.

• On 10/10/2017, President Sisi received a telephone call from Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, who expressed his appreciation for the historic relations between the two countries, and his country’s appreciation for the technical support provided by Egypt and its advocacy for the Somali interests in regional and international fora. The two presidents discussed ways of boosting bilateral relations in various fields and providing support to achieving development and stability in Somalia, as well as the provision of support in the fields of education, training courses and healthcare. They also tackled a number of regional and African issues and the joint cooperation in the field of counter-terrorism.

• On 25/2/2019, the President of the Republic of Somalia Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo and his accompanying delegation arrived in Sharm el-Sheikh to participate in the Arab-European Summit.

The Summit tackled a number of political and economic issues, in addition to issues related to the reinforcement of cultural and economic cooperation between Arab and European countries.

Moreover, the participants also discussed challenges shared by the two sides, such as terrorism and illegal immigration, and ways to reach a comprehensive and just peace in different regions of the continent.

On the sidelines of the Summit, the President of Somalia held meetings with officials participating in the Arab-European Summit to discuss the provision of support to the Somali federal government.

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On 23/4/2019, President Sisi received Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo in the presence of Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Head of the General Intelligence Minister Abbas Kamel.

President Sisi affirmed Egypt’s unshakable stance in supporting the unity of Somalia and its keenness to uphold the stability there.

He also expressed Egypt’s keenness to further enhance the various aspects of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, and to provide all forms of support to the people of Somalia in their pursuit to building the State institutions and consolidating security and stability.

Egypt’s Spokesman for the presidency noted that the President of Somalia expressed his appreciation for the historical relations between Egypt and his country, praising Egypt’s longstanding role in supporting Somalia’s efforts to achieve security and stability. Meanwhile, the Somali President stressed his country’s keenness to keep coordination and consultation with Egypt on various issues and paid tribute to Egypt’s hosting of the summit meetings on Sudan and Libya. He also praised Egypt’s active role in the African arena, especially in light of its current chairmanship of the African Union.

Moreover, during the meeting, the Somali President introduced the latest domestic developments in his country and the steps taken by the central government to restore and consolidate security and stability in Somalia and to overcome the challenges it faced.

Mutual Encounters and VisitsIn addition to the successive summit meetings of the Presidents

of Egypt and Somalia, a large number of high-level meetings between officials of the two countries were convened in recent years to promote cooperation in various fields, as follows:

• On 10/3/2013, former Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr arrived in Somalia on the first visit of its kind since years, during which he announced that Egypt decided to reopen its Embassy in Mogadishu owing to the security and stability achieved in Somalia, through the election of the Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in September 2012 and the formation of

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the government as the culmination of the completion of the transitional period.

• The appointment of Egyptian Ambassador Mahmoud Auf as the first resident ambassador to Somalia, after residing in Nairobi for 24 years, affirmed Egypt’s position as a key partner of the Somali government in overcoming all challenges facing the Somali State, and confirmed its continued support for the efforts of the Somali leadership to establish security and stability. The groundbreaking for the new Embassy in the Somali capital of Mogadishu was laid on 6/4/2016 during the visit of an Egyptian delegation to Somalia headed by Ambassador Mohamed Idris, Assistant Foreign Minister for African Affairs.

• On 24/2/2016, commander of the Somali army Major General Mohamed Adam Ahmed, and his accompanying delegation visited Egypt, during which he held talks with Egyptian officials.

• On 19/4/2016, Somali Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Minister of Commerce visited Egypt, during which they held meetings with a number of ministers and officials and discussed ways to boost bilateral relations in various fields.

• On 22/2/2017, Ambassador Hamdi Sanad Loza, Deputy Foreign Minister for African Affairs, visited Somalia to participate in the inauguration ceremony of the new President of Somalia Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, where he delivered a message from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

• On 15/1/2019, the Grand Imam of the Holy Azhar Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, received Head of the Somali Islamic Scholars Academy Sheikh Youssuf Ali, who expressed, during the meeting, his appreciation for Al-Azhar’s efforts in spreading awareness of the true teachings of Islam and the tolerance of the Islamic religion over the world.

• On 5/3/2019, Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Isse Awad visited Egypt and was received by Foreign Minister Sameh

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Shoukry, who stressed the tendency of the Egyptian political leadership to strengthen relations in various fields in order to support the unity, sovereignty and stability of the sisterly Somalia. Shoukry added that the security of Somalia is part of Egypt’s national security.

• On 18/4/2019, Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Isse Awad visited Egypt and was received by Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, where the two sides discussed bilateral relations between the two countries, as well as a number of regional issues of mutual interest. The two sides signed three memorandums of understanding, including the establishment of a mechanism for political consultation at the level of foreign ministers in the two countries and the establishment of a joint committee chaired by the foreign ministers of the two countries, and the cooperation between the national institutes of diplomatic studies of both countries.

• On 4/5/2019, Deputy Foreign Minister for African Affairs Ambassador Hamdi Sanad Loza visited Somalia presiding over a high-level national delegation, where he met with Somali President Mohamed Farmajo. He also met with the Somali Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, as the two sides discussed bilateral cooperation and regional issues of common concern.

During his meeting, the President of Somalia expressed his happiness at the growing relations between his country and Egypt, and Egypt’s commitment to support and develop those relations. He also stressed the value of the historical relations between the two brotherly peoples of Egypt and Somalia.

The visit of the Deputy Foreign Minister for African Affairs to Somalia comes within the framework of his tour in the Horn of Africa, where Egypt has been keen to follow up the developments in the regions of East Africa and the Horn of Africa, especially in light of its current presidency of the African Union, as well as to strengthen bilateral cooperation with African countries in all fields.

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Cooperation in Counter-TerrorismEgypt and Somalia are cooperating in combating terrorism,

especially the terrorism that Somalia has faced for many years. At the field level, Egypt provides military aid and trainings to the Somali army and police forces. In November 2014, the Egyptian Embassy in Mogadishu announced the arrival of Egyptian military aid, including military equipment and logistics, in addition to other military support. In February 2016, Egypt provided other military aid to the Somali army, including armored vehicles and office equipment.

In July 2016, Egypt has fully equipped a number of Somali Special Forces and provided them with computers. During the last period, a number of Somali ministers and military personnel visited Egypt, where the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on joint cooperation and integration in many military fields in support of all areas of counter- terrorism.

At the political level, Egypt provides continuous support to the Somali government in all international fora. It also stands by Somalia in case of any terrorist attack, whether through the condemnation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or that of the Holy Azhar on the conduction of these inhumane crimes under the pretext of Islam.

Among the stands and statements of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs denouncing crimes of terrorism in Somalia are:

• On 27/7/2019, in a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, Egypt condemned the suicide attack that targeted the Mayor office in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, which resulted in the death and injury of a number of citizens and officials. Egypt expressed its sincerest condolences and sympathies to the families of the innocent victims. Egypt also asserted that its people and government stand by the people and government of its sisterly Somalia against all forms of violence, extremism and terrorism.

• On 14/7/2019, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry condemned the terrorist attack at a hotel in the southern Somali port town

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of Kismayo which resulted in the death of about 26 people and the injury of 56 others. Egypt expressed its sincere condolences to the Somali government and the families of the victims, wishing a speedy recovery for the injured and confirmed that its people and government stand by the people and government of its sisterly Somalia against terrorism.

• On 17/6/2019, the Arab Republic of Egypt condemned, in a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, the bombings in the Somali capital Mogadishu, which targeted a security checkpoint near the Somali parliament headquarters and resulted in the death of 8 people and the injury of 16 others. Egypt expressed its sincere condolences to the families of the victims wishing a speedy recovery for the injured, and affirmed its solidarity with the government and the people of Somalia.

• On 15/10/2017, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry condemned the terrorist bombing in the capital Mogadishu, which killed 137 people and injured at least 300 others. In its statement, the Ministry said «these sinful acts will not stop the Somali people towards completing the building of State institutions and restoring stability.»

• On 16/1/2016, the statement of the Foreign Ministry affirmed that the Egyptian State stands by the State of Somalia in the face of brutal terrorism. Besides, Egypt expressed its support for the considerable efforts of the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia and its appreciation for the sacrifices made by the Mission to support stability and achieve peace there, and called on the international community to join efforts to confront the phenomenon of terrorism in all its forms comprehensively. That came within the framework of Egypt’s condemnation of the terrorist attack launched by the Somali Al-Shabaab (youth) Movement on the African Union Mission premises in southern Somalia, and resulted in the killing of dozens of Kenyan soldiers. The statement also stressed Egypt’s solidarity with the Government and the people of Kenya.

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Among the Holy Azhar’s statements condemning terror acts in Somalia:

• On 22/7/2019, Al-Azhar condemned the terrorist bombing that targeted a security checkpoint near the international airport in the Somali capital Mogadishu, killing 17 people and injuring 28 others. Al-Azhar reiterated its explicit denunciation of such abhorrent acts, which target and terrorize innocent people and are rejected by all heavenly laws and international conventions, stressing the need to join international efforts to defeat the dreaded epidemic of terrorism.

• On 23/3/2019, Al-Azhar extended its sincere condolences to Somalia against the background of the terror attack in the capital Mogadishu, which targeted government headquarters, and resulted in the death and injury of dozens. The Holy Azhar stressed that these terror crimes targeting civilians and terrorizing safe people indicate the brutality and inhuman nature of the perpetrators, and are contrary to all religious laws and international conventions, calling on the international community to mobilize all efforts to eliminate terrorism, so that the world can enjoy peace and security.

• On 10/11/2018, Al-Azhar condemned the bombings in the center of the capital Mogadishu, which resulted in the death and injury of 46 people, pointing out his complete rejection of all terror acts targeting civilians and terrorizing safe people, which are contrary to all religious laws and international conventions, calling on the international community to join forces to eliminate terrorism.

• On 23/11/2017, Al-Azhar condemned the attack in the city of Dingi in the region of Shabelle in southern Somalia, targeting a passenger bus through a landmine that exploded as the bus passed, killing at least six people, including two women.

• On 15/10/2017, Al-Azhar Foundation condemned the truck bombing in front of a hotel located at a busy crossroads in the capital Mogadishu which resulted in the killing of at least 137 people and the injuring of about 300 others, in addition to

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significant material damage.

• On 25/11/2016, Al-Azhar strongly condemned the car bombing near a crowded market in the capital Mogadishu, which killed about 10 people and injured dozens others. Al-Azhar’s statement affirmed its firm rejection of such terror crimes, which contravene the teachings of Islam and all tolerant laws as well as traditions and international customs.

 

 

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Chapter III

Economic and Trade Relations

In recent years, the economic relations between Egypt and Somalia have witnessed steady growth backed by strong political will and a serious pursuit to develop future plans and open new doors for cooperation in various fields. This has been demonstrated in the increase of the trade balance between the two countries which reached about $ 88 million in 2017 compared with $ 54 million in 2016.

The Egyptian exports to Somalia are across food commodities, construction materials and pharmaceutical substance, while the Somalia exports to Egypt include livestock of all kinds, mostly camels. To promote and increase the size of trade volume, the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Livestock, Forestry and Range of Somalia signed a trade agreement and a cooperation protocol for the implementation of a joint work program to regulate the Somalia exports of livestock aiming to import 5000 cattle per month. Also, the two sides agreed to set a program for stall feeding livestock in Somalia through providing fodder manufactured in Egypt. The agriculture and livestock sectors in Somalia are promising fields to increase economic cooperation between the two countries.

Egypt is also cooperating with Somalia in the export of construction materials and some engineering and metallurgical industries, alongside in the fields of communications, education and agricultural training.

Energy and water projects are among the most important areas that can witness significant development between the two countries, especially with regard to the solar cell projects and networks, especially for the similar climatic conditions of the two countries. The banking

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sector is also one of the promising sectors for the cooperation between the two countries, where it was agreed in principle to launch training programs for Somali bankers, whether through the Egyptian national banks «National bank of Egypt - Banque Misr- Banque du Caire» or in cooperation with the Egyptian Banking Institute.

There are also many opportunities to enhance cooperation between Egypt and Somalia as experts from both sides talk about the readiness of the Somali side to allocate large areas of land suitable for agriculture to Egyptian companies for investment, especially since most regions and cities of Somalia are safe now, and many forms of agricultural and commercial cooperation can be achieved for the benefit of both countries.

Development and Humanitarian AssistanceThere is a long-standing cooperation between Egypt and Somalia

in the field of training on development and humanitarian assistance. The Egyptian Fund for Technical Cooperation with Africa, established in 1980 (and subsequently the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development (EAPD) established in 2014), invites the Somali side to participate in the training courses it organizes periodically in all fields.

In light of the recent transformations in Somalia and the improved security situation in the capital Mogadishu, Egypt has begun to regain its leading role in supporting the Somali people and contributing to the reconstruction of the State-institutions that collapsed because of the civil war through the provision of training on security issues, the support of educational institutions within and outside Mogadishu, and the provision of healthcare services in addition to the supporting the role of the Holy Azhar in spreading Islam teachings and fighting extremism. At present, experts of the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development, educational missions from Al-Azhar University and the Ministry of Education are in Somalia contributing to the ongoing efforts of the government and the civil society to revitalize State institutions, particularly in the education and cultural sectors.

On the other hand, humanitarian aid is an important arena in the relations of cooperation between Egypt and Somalia, and is reflected

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in the following:

• On 18/3/2018, the Egyptian Embassy delivered a shipment of medical aid amounting to about 2 tons of medicines provided by the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Dr. Abdullahi Hashi, the First Undersecretary of the Somali Federal Ministry of Health.

• Under the patronage of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeb, the Holy Azhar launched a medical convoy of professors of Al-Azhar University, ten doctors and a pharmacist, to Somalia on 30 June - 9 July 2017.

• On 17/5/2017, under the guidance of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Egypt continued its efforts to assist the Somali brothers affected by the drought that struck different parts of Somalia. The Armed Forces Logistics Authority, in cooperation with other concerned authorities, processed quantities of food, medicines and medical supplies by private aircraft to the Federal Republic of Somalia.

• The Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development sent a shipment contained food assistance in 2016

• On 21/11/2015, Egypt participated in the International Conference on Somali Refugees held in Brussels under the auspices of the United Nations and the European Union. In the conference, Egypt pledged to consolidate the progress made in the restoration of stability in Somalia so as to encourage the voluntary return of Somali refugees and internally displaced persons (about 2 million people). Assistant to Foreign Minister for African Affairs Ambassador Mohamed Idris announced at that time Egypt’s intention to reconstruct and renovate the military hospital in the capital Mogadishu, and to provide many technical training and capacity building programs for the Somali brothers through the activities of the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development in many vital areas.

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Key agreements between the two countries since the liberation of Somalia

• Trade Agreement signed between the two countries on 10/12/1961.

• Agreement on cultural cooperation on 17/1/1961.

• Air Transport Agreement on 30/3/1974.

• Trade Agreement on 19/7/1978.

• Agreement on Economic Cooperation on 29/5/1982.

• Agreement on the promotion and protection of investments on 29/5/1982.

• Protocol of cooperation between the radio and television unions of the two countries on 29/3/1983.

• Protocol of cooperation between the Institute for Diplomatic Studies of Egypt and its counterpart in Somalia on 19/1/1989.

• A scientific and cultural executive program between the two countries between 2005 and 2007.

• Egypt and Somalia signed memorandums of understanding in several areas such as healthcare, education, customs, agriculture, livestock, fisheries and trade in 2015.

• Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries in the field of economic cooperation included the establishment of a joint trade committee chaired by the ministers of trade in the two countries and the membership of senior officials in trade arena to discuss facilitating trade movement and remove all relevant obstacles in 20/4/2016.

• Three memorandums of understanding were signed, including the establishment of a mechanism for political consultation at the level of the foreign ministers of the two countries, the establishment of a joint committee chaired by the foreign ministers of the two countries, and the cooperation between the two institutes for diplomatic studies of both countries on 18/4/2019.

 

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Chapter IV

Cultural and Media Relations Since the independence of Somalia in 1960, Egypt has been one

of the most supportive countries to Somalia in the field of education. In 1961, the two countries signed a cooperation agreement. Also, the two sides signed an executive scientific and cultural program came into force between 2005 and 2007.

Egypt has also launched initiatives and projects aimed at supporting the education sector in Somalia, including a project to provide in kind assistance for low-income students in Egyptian government schools, another to cover the expenses of students enrolled in the scholarship program abroad, and initiatives to improve the living conditions of needy students so as to enabling them to achieve better academic records.

Egypt is still considered the first destination for the people of Somalia to receive education. Also, the Egyptian university scholarships receive great attention from Somali students. In October 2014, President Sisi agreed to increase the number of scholarships offered to Somali students in Egyptian universities to reach 200 scholarships annually instead of 90. Moreover, in the context of supporting the sisterly State of Somalia, President Sisi has approved that Somali students studying in various Egyptian universities would be treated as of Egyptian and Syrian students to receive the exact care and services.

The Egyptian Ministry of Education has agreed with its Somali counterpart to provide and operate two schools in Mogadishu; 15 May Secondary School and Sheikh Hassan Barsane Secondary School. Egypt is also pursuing to re-operate Gamal Abdel Nasser School and to dispatch educational experts to develop the curriculum.

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During his meeting in 2014 with the then President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar welcomed the enhancement of cooperation between Al-Azhar and Somalia through the restoration of Al-Azhar missions headquarters to resume their role in education and advocacy, as well as increasing the number of scholarships of Al-Azhar University for Somali students as well as sending medical and outreach convoys to the people of Somalia in recognition of the efforts of the Somali people to rebuild their nation devastated by conflicts over several decades.

The Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development provided 61 training grants in 2015 and 2016 and organized 23 training courses in various technical and security fields.

Furthermore, the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding CCCPA also conducts workshops and training courses focused on Somalia in the areas of countering terrorism and strengthening the role of women in the Somali society.