A 16-member delegation from the Egyptian Armed Forces arrived in Mogadishu on Sunday for a reconnaissance mission ahead of Egypt’s troop deployment in Somalia under the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
The delegation, led by Maj. Gen. Islam Radwan, will inspect key facilities in Mogadishu and in the field to assess deployment conditions, troop accommodation, and logistical arrangements.
According to AUSSOM, Egypt is preparing to deploy about 1,100 soldiers who will be stationed across three locations in the Middle Shabelle region to replace departing Burundian forces. The deployment is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025.
Egypt’s contribution comes at a key moment in the evolution of African peacekeeping in Somalia. The African Union first deployed the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in 2007, which at its peak had over 22,000 troops drawn mainly from Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Djibouti.
AMISOM was widely credited with helping to roll back Al-Shabaab’s control of Mogadishu and other major towns, while also supporting the build-up of Somali security forces.
In April 2022, AMISOM was reconfigured into the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), tasked with gradually handing over security responsibilities to Somali forces while drawing down foreign troops. The transition process has seen phased withdrawals of troops, with some sectors already being handed to the Somali National Army (SNA).
However, persistent threats from Al-Shabaab, coupled with Somalia’s own security capacity gaps, prompted the African Union and the Somali government to agree on a new stabilisation mandate.
In July 2024, ATMIS was formally succeeded by AUSSOM, shifting the mission’s focus from a heavy combat role to a stabilisation and support framework that emphasises training, logistics, and targeted military support.
