By Staff Reporter
Somalia’s President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has arrived in Egypt on a trip largely engineered by the country’s current intelligence chief, Mahad Salad. The trip comes at a critical time of heightened tension over Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam (GERD), which is seen as the main reason for Egypt’s deepening involvement in Somali affairs.
Salad, known for his close ties with Cairo, was recently reinstated as Somalia’s spy chief after being dismissed last year. It is widely speculated that his surprise reinstatement was aggressively pushed by Egyptian officials eager to have a trusted ally in Somalia’s inner security circle.
Sources say that Salad arrived in Egypt days ahead of the president and has personally overseen the planning and agenda. The Somali embassy in Cairo has reportedly been sidelined, with planning and protocol details handled almost entirely by Salad and his inner circle.
According to diplomatic sources, Salad views the visit as an opportunity to showcase his influence to both governments. To Egypt, he aims to prove that he can shape Somalia’s policy at its highest level. At home, the spy chief wants to create the perception of an immense influence and connection among the Egyptian circles to President Hassan Sheikh.
“Mahad wants to leverage this moment to portray himself as an indispensable power-broker, both at home and with Egypt’s government,” a senior diplomat told Isbaheysi Media.
Egypt has recently been pushing for a closer relations with Somalia and it is now keen to use Mahad’s leverage to keep Somalia firmly aligned with Cairo on the Nile Dam crisis, as Egypt and Ethiopia remain locked in bitter dispute over GERD, there are fears that this alignment could turn Somalia into a battleground for the countries’ proxy war, further creating instability in Somalia.
Meanwhile, Ethiopia says it has completed the construction of GERD, a $4 billion project launched in 2011 and is now Africa’s largest hydro-electric plant. While Ethiopia celebrates as a symbol of national pride, Egypt and Sudan continue to warn it threatens their share of Nile waters.
Isbaheysi Media understands that although President Sheikh has been invited to attend the dams’ inauguration, he is unlikely to go, as Salad plays a decisive role in steering Somalia away from Addis Ababa shifting the country’s position in a delicate regional standoff.
The visit is expected to end with a joint press conference by Presidents Sheikh and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Isbaheysi Media has learnt that the statement was pre-drafted in Cairo by Mahad Salad with Egyptian officials, limiting Somali diplomacy.
As Mahad deepens control of foreign policy with Egypt, critics warn Somalia risks losing neutrality for short-term deals that could worsen its fragility.