By Abdullahi Salad - Reporter
Somalia, January 7 2026 The African Union’s Special Representative for Somalia, El Hadji Ibrahima Diene, says a tripartite committee involving Somalia’s government, the African Union and the United Nations is working to deploy Egyptian troops to Somalia but an arrival timeline isn't set yet.
In an exclusive interview with The Sitrep Podcast, aired by Dawan Africa on Tuesday, Diene who is also the Head of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), assured stakeholders that the process is proceeding smoothly.
He explained that an assessment team has already carried out evaluations of the locations where the Egyptian troops will be deployed, in order to ensure that operations proceed efficiently.
“The work is ongoing, and technical agreements are being signed, although an official date for the deployment of Egyptian troops has not yet been set,” Ambassador Diene said.
He added, “During this preparation period, security operations are continuing as usual with the forces currently on the ground, and measures are being taken to prevent any security vacuum or risks that could arise in the areas of operation.”
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Diene also clarified that the Government of Somalia has full sovereignty over decisions regarding forces joining the AUSSOM mission, stressing that no external party has the authority to interfere. “The invitation extended to the Egyptian forces is a sovereign and independent national decision taken by the Federal Government of Somalia, and it is one that we fully respect,” he added.
The Egyptian forces are expected to replace the Burundian contingent in AUSSOM. Burundi had planned to withdraw it troops from Somalia last year but the exercise was delayed since then.
Ambassador Diene noted that key decisions on the deployment cannot solrly be decided by AUSSOM hence the establishment of the tripartite committee.
He emphasized that international cooperation remains the backbone of peace, security, and stability in the country.
