Egypt expanding military mission in Somalia

Egypt is bolstering its military presence in Somalia ahead of the December 31 deadline for Ethiopian troop withdrawal, according to The National. Cairo is also training Somali forces to combat Al Qaeda-linked militants. Following an August military cooperation pact, Egypt has deployed weapons, advisers, trainers, and counter-terrorism commandos to Mogadishu. Thousands of Egyptian personnel are expected to join the mission by year’s end. Ethiopia currently has around 22,000 troops in Somalia.