Farmajo’s visit: Fifth summit within week marks historical relations

CAIRO – 20 August 2017: First official visit of Somalia’s new President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo to Cairo on Sunday marks long and historical relations between the Egyptian and Somali nations.

Egypt has been backing Somali’s decisions since 1960, according to State Information Service (SIS) website. A long list of bilateral cooperation relations was stated underneath the Egyptian Somali relations report, which included several official visits, scientific and cultural relations, economic relations and humanitarian aids.

Egypt was one of the first states which recognized the independence of Somalia in 1960 after World War II; in addition Egypt continued backing Somalia in all different fields during the period that followed its independence. Several educational missions were sent to Mogadishu.

In March 2013, former Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr marked a first visit for an official Egyptian to Somalia within twenty years. The visit included several meetings and talks with former Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud along with both foreign and defense ministers.

Former Somali President visited Cairo four times during 2014 and 2015, as many cases of mutual interests were discussed between Sheikh Mohamud and his Egyptian counterpart Abdelfatah al-Sisi.

Former Somali president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed also visited Egypt two times in 2009 and 2010.

Several agreements and cooperation protocols were signed since the announcement of Somalian independence in 1960 with Egypt; SIS however listed the major nine agreements including (two trade agreements on December 1961 and July 1978, a cultural cooperation deal in January 1961, an aviation agreement in 1974, an economic agreement in 1982 and a cooperation protocol between the two countries federal radio and television.)

Egypt has sent several humanitarian aids to its African neighbor according to SIS, the latest were during 2015 and 2017 to ease the impact of the drought wave that hit Somalia.

Commenting on Sisi’s meeting with Farmajo, Sunday, Member of Parliament Ayman Aboul Ela said in a formal statement that “it is extremely important for the Egyptian government to establish balanced relations with our African neighbors and to communicate with them and enhance our relations in all different fields.”

Sunday morning, President of Somalia Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has arrived in Cairo for his first formal visit since taking office in February 2017.

According to a presidential statement, the visit is aiming to enhance the Egyptian-Somali relations, as several issues are expected to be discussed during the talks between Farmajo and President Abdelfatah al-Sisi. A formal reception ceremony has been held in the Ittihadia Presidential Palace.

On August 14, Sisi embarked on a four-day African tour where he visited Tanzania, Rwanda, Gabon and Chad. This tour however is not considered to be a sudden move, as Sisi visited several African countries since taking the office in June 2014; participating in summits and conducting bilateral talks with the majority of African leaders.

In June 2014, Sisi participated in the African Union Summit in the Equatorial Guinea as his first presidential visit within the continent, which was considered then a restoration of the African-Egyptian relations after years of neglect during Mubarak’s era.

Several short visits during 2015 followed the African Union Summit participation including, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda per Yuri Museveni’s invitation in December 2016.