U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Egypt might help with peacekeeping in places like South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He spoke about this during a press conference in Cairo with Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Badr Abdel Aty, pointing out that Egypt could play a role in calming these troubled areas.
While in Cairo, Blinken also met with Egyptian leaders, including President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, to talk about important regional issues, like the ongoing conflicts in Libya, Gaza, and Somalia.
“We talked about how we can improve our security partnership, whether it’s Egypt’s important peacekeeping work in places like South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or, as the minister mentioned, the fight against ISIS and other extremist groups in the Sinai Peninsula,” Blinken said.
Just before Blinken’s visit, the U.S. announced it would give Egypt its full $1.3 billion in military aid.
Recently, Egypt signed a military deal with Somalia and is expected to send up to 5,000 soldiers there by the end of the year. These soldiers will join a new African Union force and replace Ethiopian troops currently in Somalia. This shows Egypt’s growing role in peacekeeping in the region.
Ethiopia is worried about these developments. It said it is closely watching the situation and accused Somalia of working with outside forces to create instability. At the same time, Egypt is building stronger military and security ties with Ethiopia’s neighbors. Just a week earlier, Egyptian officials met with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, delivering a message from President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Egypt and its partners seem to be trying to put pressure on Ethiopia, especially with ongoing tensions over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which has been a major source of conflict in the region.
Be the first to comment