What to Make of Egypt's Expanding Footprint in Sudan and the Horn of Africa

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi sits in a chair with the Egyptian flag behind him, looking on during a meeting at the presidential palace in Cairo on Sept. 18, 2024.

(EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi looks on during a meeting at the presidential palace in Cairo on Sept. 18, 2024.

Egypt will likely expand military cooperation with Sudan and Horn of Africa partners while pursuing strategic investments in the region, but Cairo's continued reliance on Emirati capital will constrain more aggressive moves against UAE interests. According to regional media sources, Egyptian technical teams are preparing to deploy an unknown number of members of the armed forces to Somalia, to a location north of Mogadishu, as part of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia. If confirmed, this would mark the first deployment of Egyptian forces to Somalia after Cairo and Mogadishu reached a military and defense memorandum of understanding in 2024. The reported deployment comes amid growing cooperation between Egypt, Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea.