Ethiopia fears 'dangers' of new Somalia peace mission

NAIROBI - Ethiopia on Wednesday warned that a new African Union-led mission for Somalia could worsen tensions in volatile East Africa, after Egypt said it sent military aid to the conflict-ridden nation.

The new mission, known as AUSSOM, is due to replace in January an AU peacekeeping force that is deployed in Somalia to fight the Al-Shabaab jihadist group.

Addis Ababa warned it was "fraught with dangers" and accused Somalia of colluding with unnamed actors seeking to destabilise the volatile Horn of Africa.

The concern came after Egypt - which has long been at odds with Ethiopia - sent military equipment to Somalia in a move likely to escalate tensions between Cairo and Addis Ababa.

"The region is entering into uncharted waters," Ethiopia's foreign ministry said in a statement.

"Ethiopia cannot stand idle while other actors are taking measures to destabilise the region," it said, adding that it was monitoring the developments.

Cairo and Addis Ababa have been at loggerheads for years, trading incendiary words over Ethiopia's mega-dam project on the Blue Nile, which Egypt says threatens its fragile water security.

Egypt has long viewed the massive $4.2-billion dam as an existential threat, as it relies on the Nile for 97% of its water needs.

Protracted negotiations over the dam since 2011 have thus far failed to bring about an agreement between Ethiopia and its downstream neighbours.

Relations between Mogadishu and Addis Ababa also nosedived after Ethiopia in January struck a controversial maritime deal with the breakaway Somali region of Somaliland.

Somaliland, a former British protectorate of 4.5 million people, has not had its independence claim recognised by the international community.

Egypt and Somalia have meanwhile drawn closer together and signed a military cooperation agreement this month.

It was not immediately clear what Egypt had sent to Somalia but Somali ambassador to Egypt Ali Abdi on Wednesday lauded the consignment as important.

"It is the first practical step to implement the outcomes of the Egyptian-Somali summit held recently in Cairo between President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud and President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi," the statement quoted Abdi as saying.

He added that Egypt will be the first country to deploy forces to support the Somali security after the withdrawal of the current AU force, known as ATMIS, according to a statement published by local media.

ATMIS, which operates with a mandate from the AU but is also mandated by the UN Security Council, is due to fully withdraw and hand over security responsibilities to the Somali army and police by the end of 2024.

The mission comprises troops from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda.