Cairo, Egypt(Mogadishu24)-Egypt has issued a call for its nationals to leave the self-declared Republic of Somaliland immediately, following heightened tensions in the region.

In a statement released Sunday, the Egyptian Embassy in Somalia advised its citizens to avoid traveling to Somaliland, citing security concerns that could compromise their safety.

“We strongly urge all Egyptian nationals not to travel to the Somaliland region due to the deteriorating security situation and its impact on their safety,” the embassy’s statement read.

The embassy further advised Egyptians currently in Somaliland to leave via Hargeisa Airport as soon as possible, emphasizing that the embassy’s capacity to offer consular assistance is severely limited under the current circumstances.

This advisory follows the Somaliland government’s recent decision to shut down the Egyptian library located within its territory and expel its staff, a move reported by several Arab media outlets.

Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but remains unrecognized internationally, functions as a separate administrative and political entity. The Somali central government has no control over the region, which operates independently.

Tensions have escalated further in the region after Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland on January 1, 2024. The agreement reportedly allows Ethiopia to establish a military base and secure a 50-year lease of the Berbera Port, a strategic location on the Red Sea, a development opposed by several Arab nations.

Egypt, already at odds with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project on the Nile, has also condemned the Ethiopia-Somaliland agreement.

In August, Egypt and Somalia signed a military cooperation protocol, reaffirming Egypt’s support for Somalia’s sovereignty and its opposition to foreign interference.

Reports have surfaced regarding the arrival of Egyptian troops in Mogadishu as part of an international peacekeeping force, though Egypt has not confirmed these claims, raising concerns in Addis Ababa.