{"id":4043,"date":"2026-02-26T01:23:33","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T01:23:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=4043"},"modified":"2026-02-26T01:23:33","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T01:23:33","slug":"as-horn-of-africa-tensions-rise-egypt-vies-for-influence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=4043","title":{"rendered":"As Horn of Africa Tensions Rise, Egypt Vies for Influence"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n<div data-nosnippet=\"\">\n<p>Welcome to <em>Foreign Policy<\/em>\u2019s Africa Brief.<\/p>\n<p>The highlights this week: The Egyptian government increasingly wades into geopolitics in the <strong>Horn of Africa<\/strong>, Chad closes its <strong>border with Sudan<\/strong> after clashes spill into its territory, and a new report shows that more than 1,000 Kenyans are <strong>fighting for Russia<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-fallback\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">\n                <\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/category\/africa-brief\/\">Sign up<\/a>  to receive Africa Brief in your inbox every Wednesday.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<form data-shortcode-newsletter=\"africa_brief\" class=\"newsletter-unit-signup newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode email-capture--step-1 newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-africa_brief\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-africa_brief newsletter-shortcode-africa_brief\">\n<div class=\"show-on-email-capture--signed-up hide-from-newsletter-subscriber newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode--container\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit newsletter-row\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-africa_brief\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">Sign up to receive Africa Brief in your inbox every Wednesday.<\/h2>\n<p>\n                        <button class=\"button\">Sign Up<\/button>\n                    <\/p>\n<div class=\"grid--flex newsletter-africa_brief newsletter-signup-container\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"Africa Brief sign up form\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<div class=\"buttons\">\n<div class=\"hide-from-newsletter-subscriber privacy-policy-container\">\n<div class=\"privacy-policy-acknowledge\">\n<p><small>By submitting your email, you agree to the <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/privacy\/\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/termsofuse\/\" target=\"_blank\">Terms of Use<\/a> and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.<\/small><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n    <label for=\"email-africa_brief\">Enter your email<\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"email\" name=\"email\" class=\"hide-from-reg hide-from-sub\" id=\"email-africa_brief\" aria-required=\"true\" required=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>    <button class=\"button button--signup \" data-newsletter-id=\"africa_brief\" data-sourceid=\"In-article unit\" type=\"submit\"><br \/>\n      <span class=\"sign-up-text\">Sign Up<\/span><br \/>\n      <span class=\"loading-text\">Loading&#8230;<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/button>\n  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<hr\/>\n<p>CAIRO\u2014This week, I\u2019m writing from Egypt, where President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi\u2019s military expansion and large-scale infrastructure projects are well underway as his regime seeks to shore up domestic support and become an indispensable geopolitical player amid rising regional tensions.<\/p>\n<p>In recent weeks, there has been increasing evidence that Egypt is being drawn into neighboring Sudan\u2019s civil war. Satellite imagery suggests that Cairo has been carrying out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/01\/world\/africa\/egypt-sudan-drones.html\">drone strikes<\/a> in Sudan against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been fighting the Sudanese military since 2023.<\/p>\n<p>Egypt has also sought to challenge Israel\u2019s ambitions in the Horn of Africa. Last December, Israel became the first country to formally recognize Somaliland\u2014a breakaway region of Somalia\u2014in a move to bolster its strategic position in the Red Sea.<\/p>\n<p>Somaliland\u2019s coastline provides immediate access to the Red Sea, which is a conduit for an estimated 12 percent of global trade, linking Europe, Asia, and Africa. The move also allows Israel to potentially establish a military presence to counter Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in the maritime corridor.<\/p>\n<p>In the wake of Israel\u2019s move, Sisi reiterated Egypt\u2019s \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeastmonitor.com\/20260209-egypt-reiterates-support-for-somalias-unity-amid-regional-tensions\/\">special role<\/a>\u201d in Somalia and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.egypttoday.com\/Article\/1\/144948\/El-Sisi-Recognizing-part-of-Somalia%E2%80%99s-independence-threatens-HoA-stability\">called<\/a> Israel\u2019s actions a \u201cdangerous precedent that threatens the stability of the entire Horn of Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Egypt also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newarab.com\/news\/egypt-sends-troops-somalia-amid-israel-tensions\">deployed<\/a> around 1,100 soldiers to Somalia earlier this month as part of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission (AUSSOM) to support counterterrorism efforts against al-Shabab, a jihadist group. They will form part of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cvg415vex37o\">5,000<\/a> AUSSOM contingency that Cairo proposed in 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Egypt is concerned about a potential Israel-Ethiopia <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenationalnews.com\/news\/mena\/2026\/01\/14\/egypt-expands-military-goals-in-somalia-after-israels-somaliland-recognition\/\">alignment<\/a>, especially as some analysts expect Israel to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/2\/25\/will-ethiopia-be-part-of-israels-hexagon-alliance-rivalling-its-enemies\">push Ethiopia<\/a> to recognize Somaliland (a possibility that Addis Ababa has flirted with before). According to security experts, Cairo views Somalia as an important \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/hornreview.org\/2026\/02\/11\/somalias-asymmetrical-alignments-cairo-mogadishu-ties-and-implications-for-ethiopia\/\">pressure point<\/a>\u201d against Ethiopia.<\/p>\n<p>Egypt and Ethiopia are long-standing rivals; their current dispute centers on the construction of the latter\u2019s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which Cairo has argued will negatively impact its access to the Nile\u2019s water supply.<\/p>\n<p>In late 2025, Egypt reached agreements to upgrade Djibouti\u2019s port of Doraleh and Eritrea\u2019s port of Assab. The\u00a0 moves were widely seen by analysts as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meforum.org\/mef-online\/why-egypts-sisi-is-militarizing-the-horn-of-africa\">encircling<\/a> Ethiopia.<\/p>\n<p>As these regional actors compete for influence, they risk transforming the Horn of Africa into a volatile proxy conflict zone that further draws in other states including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. Saudi Arabia is reportedly finalizing an agreement on a new military <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2026-01-16\/saudi-arabia-in-talks-with-egypt-somalia-on-military-coalition\">coalition<\/a> with Somalia and Egypt, in a bid to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.madamasr.com\/en\/2026\/01\/22\/news\/u\/sudan-nashra-somalia-enters-sudan-egypt-saudi-arabia-turkey-axis-sudanese-ethiopian-sources-trumps-gerd-initiative-could-pave-way-for-further-talks-with-addis-ababa-western-north-darfu\/\">counter<\/a> the United Arab Emirates\u2019 regional influence.<\/p>\n<p>Egyptians have generally supported their government being a strong actor in supporting regional stability, particularly on the conflict in Gaza, but many fear that lavish spending on ports, arms, and troop deployments abroad is misplaced.<\/p>\n<p>On the streets of Cairo, ordinary Egyptians have told me this week that they see Sisi\u2019s focus on military might as a way to distract from public anger over the worsening economy.<\/p>\n<p>They largely blame this on Sisi\u2019s mega-projects, from the $59 billion new administrative capital, which is slated to have the world\u2019s largest defense headquarters when completed, to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2024\/apr\/08\/built-on-sand-can-egypts-new-seaside-city-protect-the-country-from-war-at-its-borders\">$35 billion<\/a> megacity on the Mediterranean. Rampant building is hard to ignore around Cairo, where Sisi\u2019s image adorns giant billboards advertising his infrastructure accomplishments and heralding a \u201cnew Egypt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The newly opened $1 billion <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/06\/11\/egypt-megaproject-new-city-jirian-infrastructure-sisi-debt\/\">Grand Egyptian Museum<\/a>, while impressive, only had a few Egyptian visitors when I went recently, among crowds of Western and East Asian tourists.<\/p>\n<p><u>Poverty<\/u> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/economy\/2025\/12\/5\/egypts-economy-stabilises-but-poverty-challenges-persist\">rates<\/a> have steadily <a href=\"https:\/\/manassa.news\/en\/stories\/25941\">risen<\/a> in Egypt over the past decade. Although the Egyptian pound stabilized last year\u2014largely <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/economy\/2025\/12\/5\/egypts-economy-stabilises-but-poverty-challenges-persist\">due to<\/a> capital injections from the International Monetary Fund and foreign investment pledges\u2014Egyptians continue to face a cost-of-living <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newarab.com\/features\/invisible-toll-inflation-egyptian-families\">crisis<\/a>, which has only been exacerbated by new policies that clamp down on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/08\/07\/world\/middleeast\/egypt-affordable-housing-old-rent.html\">rent controls<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newarab.com\/news\/egypts-bread-subsidy-system-reforms-hit-poor-hardest\">food subsidies<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Many Egyptians are especially unhappy with the military\u2019s outsized role in the economy. The military controls up to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.business-humanrights.org\/en\/latest-news\/egypt-a-report-investigates-the-military-driven-economy-revealing-exclusive-privileges-forced-conscript-labor-and-the-impact-on-the-collapse-of-the-private-sector\/\">90 percent<\/a> of public projects, and firms linked to it are shielded from financial audits and parliamentary scrutiny.<\/p>\n<p>The new administrative capital \u201cdoes nothing to grow our economy\u2014it\u2019s a smokescreen for corruption,\u201d said one trader, who asked to remain anonymous. \u201cWe are all struggling.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><strong>Wednesday, Feb. 25:<\/strong> The United Nations Security Council holds a briefing on its peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Wednesday, Feb. 25, to Thursday, Feb. 26:<\/strong> The African Energy Chamber leads a delegation to Venezuela aimed at strengthening oil and gas cooperation. The visit began on Monday.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Wednesday, Feb. 25, to Friday, Feb. 27:<\/strong> Africa\u2019s Green Economy Summit, which began on Tuesday, continues in Cape Town, South Africa.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><strong>Russia\u2019s foreign fighters.<\/strong> More than 1,000 Kenyans are fighting for Russia in Ukraine after being misled with false promises of civilian jobs in Russia, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/ce8w266769go\">according<\/a> to an intelligence report commissioned by Kenya\u2019s parliament.<\/p>\n<p>Kenya\u2019s foreign ministry had previously said late last year that Moscow had recruited around 200 Kenyans, after it had been contacted by Kenyans <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/01\/21\/russia-war-ukraine-african-recruits-tricked-front-lines\/\">in distress<\/a> at Russian military camps. In a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/russembkenya\/status\/2024443743966011712?s=20\">statement<\/a> on social media, the Russian Embassy in Nairobi refuted the claims, calling them \u201cdangerous and misleading propaganda.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In recent months, multiple media outlets have <a href=\"https:\/\/monitoring.bbc.co.uk\/product\/b0004wrw\">reported<\/a> on Moscow\u2019s use of mass <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/01\/21\/russia-war-ukraine-african-recruits-tricked-front-lines\/\">employment agencies<\/a> to lure foreign job seekers to the front line in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, South Africa recently said it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymaverick.co.za\/article\/2026-02-23-south-africans-lured-to-fight-for-russia-in-ukraine-are-on-their-way-home\/\">secured<\/a> the release of 17 of its citizens duped into fighting for Russia, four of whom returned to the country last week. The men said they believed that they were going to Russia for training and jobs as bodyguards but were instead sent to Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Border shutdown.<\/strong> Chad <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/africa\/chad-closes-border-with-sudan-after-clashes-kill-five-soldiers-2026-02-23\/\">closed<\/a> its eastern border with Sudan on Monday after fighting between the RSF and militia fighters allied with Sudan\u2019s government spilled over into Chad\u2019s territory, killing Chadian soldiers and civilians.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities said the measures are necessary to protect Chadian citizens and refugees who have fled Sudan\u2019s civil war. According to Chadian Communications Minister Mahamat Gassim Cherif, the decision <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arise.tv\/chad-shuts-border-with-sudan-after-deadly-clashes\/\">followed<\/a> \u201crepeated incursions and violations committed by the forces\u201d involved in the conflict.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tunisian critics.<\/strong> On Monday, a Tunisian court <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/tunisian-court-frees-prominent-lawyer-ahmed-souab-family-says-2026-02-23\/\">ordered<\/a> the release of prominent lawyer Ahmed Souab, who was sentenced last October to five years in prison and three years of administrative supervision for allegedly forming a terrorist group and spreading fake news.<\/p>\n<p>Souab is a fierce critic of Tunisian President Kais Saied. His <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org\/en\/latest\/news\/2025\/10\/tunisia-authorities-must-immediately-release-detained-lawyer-ahmed-souab\/\">arrest<\/a> last April came two days after he spoke at a press conference criticizing Saied\u2019s use of terrorism laws to convict critics. The appeals court did not cite a reason for reducing his sentence.<\/p>\n<p>Also on Monday, another Tunisian court <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arabnews.com\/node\/2633807\/middle-east\">sentenced<\/a> lawmaker Ahmed Saidani to eight months in prison over Facebook posts mocking Saied. Saidani had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/c3v75lvgy36o\">criticized<\/a> Saied\u2019s decision to visit victims of floods as nothing more than a photo opportunity, calling him the \u201csupreme commander of sanitation and rainwater drainage.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<hr\/>\n<p><strong>Benghazi\u2019s sportswashing.<\/strong> In recent months, European soccer clubs, including Inter Milan and Atl\u00e9tico Madrid, have played friendly matches in eastern Libya as part of a state-backed campaign to signal political stability, Abdalla Najjar <a href=\"https:\/\/newlinesmag.com\/spotlight\/sports-and-legitimacy-in-eastern-libya\/\">reports<\/a> in <em>New Lines Magazine<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>These matches are financed by the Libya Development and Reconstruction Fund, a body overseen by Belgacem Haftar, a son of Khalifa Haftar, the warlord who controls eastern Libya.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDespite Western support for Tripoli\u2019s government and the gradual effort to integrate the eastern part of the country, Haftar seems to be gaining more influence,\u201d Najjar writes. \u201cHis approach seems to be more creative.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>African AI. <\/strong>Earlier this month, Google launched an open access data set for 21 African languages, including Luganda, Malagasy, Swahili, and Yoruba, for use in artificial intelligence voice recognition software. The release will make building AI products that understand African languages easier, Damilare Dosunmu <a href=\"https:\/\/restofworld.org\/2026\/google-waxal-african-languages-ai-sovereignty\/\">reports<\/a> in <em>Rest of World<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The project was developed in partnership with universities across the continent and \u201crepresents a rare move toward digital sovereignty,\u201d Dosunmu writes. \u201cThe data, controlled by African institutions and made open-source for everybody, is a great foundation to build on,\u201d one expert told <em>Rest of World<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/02\/25\/egypt-horn-africa-somalia-sudan-regional-tensions-sisi-military\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to Foreign Policy\u2019s Africa Brief. The highlights this week: The Egyptian government increasingly wades into geopolitics in the Horn of Africa, Chad closes its border with Sudan after clashes spill into its territory, and a new report shows that more than 1,000 Kenyans are fighting for Russia. Sign up to receive Africa Brief in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4044,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-4043","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-politcical-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4043","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4043"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4043\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4043"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4043"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4043"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}