MOGADISHU, Somalia

Egypt and Somalia signed a defense pact Wednesday to bolster security cooperation.

The pact was signed after bilateral talks between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and his Somali counterpart, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who is on a two-day visit to Cairo.

Somalia said it is a “significant defense agreement between Somalia and Egypt, aimed at bolstering security cooperation between the two brotherly nations.”

At a news conference with El-Sisi, Mohamud said the “historic” pact is a testament to a future of common defense against international terrorism that Somalia is battling at home and abroad.

“The agreement serves as a blueprint for the exchange of knowledge and expertise in the pursuit of regional, continental and international peace and security,” the Somali presidential palace said in a statement.

Egypt offered to support a new African Union peacekeeping mission to Somalia that will replace the current mission force.

The value of Egyptian exports to Somalia increased to $54 million in the first 11 months of 2023, compared to $42.3 million during the period in 2022, an increase of 27.7% as the value of Somalia exports to Egypt stabilized at $2.2 million, according to the Egyptian Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).