WASHINGTON — Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state, held a phone call with Badr Abdelatty, Egypt’s foreign minister, to discuss security developments in the Horn of Africa and ongoing tensions in the Middle East, officials said.
During the conversation, Abdelatty stressed the importance of respecting the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia, reiterating Egypt’s opposition to any recognition of Somaliland as an independent state.
The Egyptian minister warned that attempts to recognize Somaliland would violate international law and Somalia’s sovereignty, and could have negative consequences for stability in the Horn of Africa and along the strategic Red Sea corridor.
Cairo is also preparing to deploy troops to Somalia in the coming weeks as part of a new African Union mission supporting Somali security forces, a move highlighting strengthening security ties between the governments in Cairo and Mogadishu.
Rubio, for his part, thanked Egypt for its role in facilitating the evacuation and safety of American citizens in the country during recent regional unrest, according to officials familiar with the call.
