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📰 Egypt enters Somalia

📰 Egypt enters Somalia

and Macron's political gamble

Billy Robinson
August 28, 2024

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Today's coverage highlights significant developments across key conflict zones: In Gaza, the UN central command post has been forced to halt operations as the IDF issues evacuation orders for Deir al-Balah, while Russia has launched an overnight barrage on Ukrainian cities Kryvyi Rih and Zaporizhzhya.

In the Horn of Africa, Egyptian troops and equipment have arrived in Somalia, raising concerns about a potential proxy conflict with Ethiopia. Meanwhile, in France, President Macron is facing accusations of obstructing democracy by refusing to appoint a Prime Minister from the left-wing coalition that won the recent snap election.

This, and more, below ⤵️

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇸🇴 🇪🇬 🇪🇹 Egyptian troops, materiel arrive in Somalia amid rising tensions with Ethiopia: Egyptian military planes have landed at Mogadishu Airport, delivering equipment and personnel to oversee military operations in Somalia’s Hiiraan region—near the Ethiopian border—following the recently signed Mogadishu-Cairo security agreement. A total of 10,000 Egyptian troops are expected to be stationed across Somalia's South West, Hirshabelle, and Galmudug regions. Of these, 5,000 will reportedly join the African Union Support Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) forces, while the other 5,000 will operate independently from the peacekeeping mission, which focuses on containing the militant group al-Shabaab. The move has raised concerns among local analysts, who suspect that Egypt may have ulterior motives related to its escalating tensions with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and Ethiopia's recognition of Somaliland as an independent state, as formalised in the "January 2024 Memorandum of Understanding." There is growing apprehension about potential conflict between Somalia and Ethiopia, especially after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed recently held the country's largest military parade in years, signalling increased military readiness.

2️⃣ 🇫🇷 Macron refuses to name leftwing coalition PM, despite snap election results: France has plunged deeper into political turmoil as President Emmanuel Macron controversially declined to appoint a prime minister from the left-wing coalition that secured the most seats in last month’s snap election. Macron had hoped consultations would resolve the deadlock in the Assemblée Nationale, which is now split into three nearly equal blocs—left, centre, and far-right—none of which holds a majority. After two days of discussions with party and parliamentary leaders, Macron’s refusal to choose the New Popular Front's candidate sparked outrage and led to threats of impeachment.

3️⃣ 🇷🇺 🇺🇦 Russia launches overnight barrage on Kryvyi Rih, Zaporizhzhya: Ukraine's air defence systems were activated early Tuesday to repel a renewed Russian drone attack, according to the Kyiv region's military administration. The Ukrainian air force reported downing five missiles and 60 drones out of 10 missiles and 81 drones launched by Russia overnight, per a Telegram statement. This followed a major assault on Monday, where Russian attacks killed at least seven people and further damaged Ukraine's energy grid. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy responded by urging Western allies to increase air defence support and lift restrictions on striking deep into Russian territory. "We could protect more lives if our European neighbours' aviation worked alongside our F-16s and air defences," Zelenskiy said. He stressed that Ukraine needs unrestricted long-range capabilities, pointing out that Russia faces no such limits. "The U.S., Britain, France, and our partners have the power to help us stop this terror. The time for decisive action is now," he added.

4️⃣ 🇻🇪 🇪🇺 Maduro yet to show evidence of legitimate election victory: The European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, stated on Saturday that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has yet to present “necessary public evidence” to substantiate his victory in July’s elections. This statement came shortly after Venezuela’s Supreme Court upheld the contested election results, a move that has been widely rejected by the EU, several Latin American countries, and the United States. Borrell emphasised that only results that are complete and independently verifiable will be recognized by the international community. The EU and other critics have urged Maduro to release the official tally sheets, which are seen as the most reliable measure of the election’s outcome. Leaders from Brazil and Colombia also echoed the EU’s stance, insisting that the credibility of the electoral process can only be restored through the transparent publication of detailed and verifiable vote counts.

5️⃣ 🇾🇪 🇺🇳 Migrant ship sinks off Yemen’s coast, IOM highlights underfunding of global refugee crisis response: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Sunday that an irregular migrant boat capsized off the coast of Taiz province in southern Yemen earlier this week. The boat, which departed from Djibouti, was carrying 25 Ethiopian and Yemeni migrants when it sank on Tuesday. The IOM, a United Nations agency, confirmed that 13 people have been confirmed dead, including 11 men and two women. Search efforts are ongoing to locate the remaining missing migrants, along with the Yemeni captain and his assistant. The cause of the sinking is still under investigation. Since 2014, the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project has documented 2,082 deaths and disappearances along the Eastern Corridor, with 693 attributed to drowning. Despite the alarming death toll, the response to this crisis remains underfunded.

Major Story

🇺🇳 🇵🇸 🇮🇱 UN CENTRAL COMMAND POST FORCED TO CEASE OPERATIONS IN GAZA, AS IDF ORDER CIVILIANS TO EVACUATE DEIR AL-BALAH

For the first time since the war began, the UN's central command post in Gaza was forced to halt operations on Monday, August 26, following orders from Israeli Defence forces. This led the coordination teams to abandon their base in Deir al-Balah, leaving all operations suspended.

According to the UN, Palestinian refugees now occupy only 11% of the Gaza Strip, a stark result of 16 Israel-mandated evacuations since early August. This overcrowding has raised alarms within the organisation, which can no longer safely coordinate its efforts, as reported by Radio France Internationale correspondent Carrie Nooten in New York.

Louise Wateridge, on the ground with UNRWA, described the dire situation: "Hundreds of thousands are being displaced daily. The conditions have deteriorated rapidly in recent weeks, and people have no idea where to turn. The humanitarian area is so crowded that you can barely see the sand beneath. People are using sand to build walls to keep seawater out of their makeshift shelters. The conditions are harsh, with scorpions, mosquitoes, rats, mice, and snakes among the displaced population."

The ongoing forced evacuations are straining humanitarian teams, who must continuously adapt their operations. While UNRWA personnel still provide some aid to Palestinian civilians in the camps, the UN is urging Israel to ensure the safety of its humanitarian workers, a responsibility it holds under the laws of war.

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1️⃣ 🇨🇳 China’s spending on Pacific military exercises in 2023 exceeded US$15.3 billion: China allocated approximately US$15 billion, or 7% of its defence budget, to military exercises in the Western Pacific in 2023, according to an unpublished estimate by Taiwan's armed forces. This internal research, reviewed by Reuters, sheds light on China's significant military investment around Taiwan and neighbouring regions, amid escalating tensions. China, which claims Taiwan as its own and has not ruled out using force to assert control, is also engaged in territorial disputes in the South China Sea and East China Sea. A senior Taiwanese official familiar with the research noted that Beijing's resource allocation reflects a strategic focus on dominating the area west of the First Island Chain, an arc of archipelagos from Indonesia to Japan, including key maritime regions. The sensitive nature of this information led the official and others briefed on the research to remain anonymous.