Ahmed Abouyoussef

Researcher

Ahmed Abouyoussef is a researcher at the Political Studies Program at Al Habtoor Research Centre. Ahmed Abouyoussef’s research interests revolve around peace and conflict studies in the MENA region, where he conducts research on armed groups engaged in MENA civil wars, especially in Syria and Libya.

 

He is also interested in exploring the impact of sectarian rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia on hardening sectarian identities in the MENA region. Additionally, Ahmed examines the spillovers of MENA conflicts in surrounding areas, such as Europe.

 

Before joining the Al Habtoor Research Center, Ahmed worked for local and international research centers, including the Arab Center for Research, the Saif Bin Hilal Center for Energy Studies, and the Center of Middle East Studies (CEMO) in Paris. He also worked for international humanitarian organizations such as Terre des Hommes in Egypt and Humanexus International in Sweden.

 

Ahmed holds an MSc in European & Mediterranean Studies and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. He obtained both degrees from the Faculty of Economics & Political Science at Cairo University.

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Latest By Ahmed Abouyoussef

Turkey and Somalia: A New Rising Pact in the Horn of Africa
Programmes
12 Sep 2024

Turkey and Somalia: A New Rising Pact in the Horn of Africa

Turkey has a deep interest in the Horn of Africa and considers it as the gate to the East of the continent. Since 2011, Turkey has increased its humanitarian aid to Somalia, signed military and economic agreements and contributed to the process of state-building through allowing its companies to construct infrastructure, schools, hospital, and governmental premises. In 2017, Turkey has opened the largest military base, known as TURKSOM, beyond its borders to fully qualify the Somali army to deter the threat arising from the Al-Shabab movement that has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States (U.S.) since 2008.   In February 2024, Turkey signed significant military and economic agreements with Somalia, allowing it to a key player in the politics of Horn of Africa. According to the 10-year pact, Turkey will help Somalia to defend its maritime against piracy, smuggling, and foreign intervention from Ethiopia. Turkey is also obliged by the terms of this agreement to train and rebuild the Somali naval forces. The process of rebuilding includes weaponizing the Somali naval forces with Turkish weapons manufactured locally. These weapons include frigates built mainly for the Somali navy, which means that the Turkish military exports will witness an increase of demand on its products in the forthcoming years. This would motivate other countries to buy Turkish weapons, especially if Turkish weapons proved its efficiency in securing Somali maritime. These agreements also enable Turkey to work on extracting natural resources from the Somali territorial water in return for an agreed-upon percentage for Turkey. Some reports revealed that Turkey will receive 30% of the revenues of the Somali economic zone. Somali airspace will also be fully opened for Turkish military use. This analysis explores Turkish motivations of signing this agreement and the challenges that it might confront while implementing it.
El-Sisi’s Visit to Ankara: A Key Diplomatic Move During Unrest
Programmes
5 Sep 2024

El-Sisi’s Visit to Ankara: A Key Diplomatic Move During Unrest

In a move with significant political and economic implications, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi embarked on an official visit to Ankara Sept. 4, 2024. This highly anticipated visit comes months after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Egypt earlier this year and his invitation to President El-Sisi to Ankara. The current visit, considered a turning point in Egyptian-Turkish relations, aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation and open new avenues for coordination on regional and international issues. After a decade of tension and estrangement in the relations between Egypt and Turkey.   The Egyptian President's visit to Turkey is of special importance, as it is the culmination of a long phase of discussions aimed at restoring relations between Egypt and Turkey to their normal course. The rounds of talks and meetings concluded with Erdogan's visit to Cairo last February, which witnessed the announcement of the revival of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council for relations between the two countries in its new form, where both leaders co-chair the first meeting of the Council. The meeting also involved a comprehensive review of the Egyptian-Turkish bilateral relations and discussions on potential steps to further enhance the Egyptian-Turkish cooperation.   This analysis highlights the motivations of this visit and its implications on regional and Turkish politics.