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Geopolitics

Four African leaders issue joint declaration as Ethiopia conflict escalates

Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan call for political solutions and reject unilateral actions

By LineZotpaper
Published
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The leaders of Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan have issued a joint declaration calling for political and peaceful solutions to escalating conflicts across the region, including Sudan's civil war and renewed fighting in Ethiopia. The declaration came as Ethiopian government forces captured the Tigray capital Mekelle from rebel forces.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan met in Egypt's New Alamein City on Sunday. The joint declaration backed Sudan's military-led government and called for a political process led by Sudanese parties. Sudan has been at war since April 2023 between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

The leaders also said control of the Red Sea should remain with coastal states, a response to landlocked Ethiopia's pursuit of sovereign access to the sea and a naval presence. Somalia's Mohamud told Al Jazeera that Mogadishu does not object to Ethiopia securing commercial access through Somali ports, provided it is negotiated.

Egypt and Sudan warned against what they called "unilateral measures" that harm downstream states, referencing the long-running dispute over Ethiopia's Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Nile.

Ethiopia has accused Egypt, Eritrea and Sudan of backing the armed alliance fighting its government – a seven-group alliance including the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) – but officials from all three countries have denied involvement. The declaration appeared to push back against several policies pursued by Ethiopia, highlighting widening rifts between Addis Ababa and its neighbours.

Earlier, el-Sisi said cross-border challenges required "a dialogue, not confrontation". Fighting has escalated in Ethiopia, with government forces seizing Mekelle, the Tigray regional capital, as rebels withdrew.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The joint declaration formalises a coalition of four countries opposed to Ethiopia's recent regional policies, raising the risk of a broader confrontation in the Horn of Africa.
  • Escalation in Ethiopia threatens to reignite the devastating two-year Tigray war and destabilise the entire region, with millions of people potentially affected.
  • The dispute over Red Sea access and the Nile dam directly impacts maritime trade routes and water security for Egypt and Sudan.

Background

The Horn of Africa has been a region of shifting alliances and conflicts. Ethiopia fought a brutal two-year war with the TPLF that ended in 2022, but tensions have reignited. Ethiopia's construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile has long been a source of tension with downstream Egypt and Sudan. Ethiopia's pursuit of a naval port on the Red Sea has also alarmed coastal states, who view it as a challenge to their sovereignty. Sudan remains mired in civil war between the army and RSF, while Somalia is dealing with its own security challenges and has a territorial dispute with Ethiopia over the breakaway region of Somaliland.

Key Perspectives

The four leaders (Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan): They advocate for political solutions, support Sudan's current military-led government, and assert that Red Sea control should remain with coastal states. They oppose unilateral actions on the Nile and seek to counter Ethiopia's regional assertiveness. Ethiopia's government: It accuses these four countries of backing the armed alliance fighting its forces – a charge they deny. Ethiopia insists on its right to sovereign access to the Red Sea and to develop the Nile dam for its energy needs. Critics and observers: The joint declaration may deepen regional polarisation rather than reduce tensions. Ethiopia's landlocked status and growing population make its pursuit of seaport access a pressing issue that will be difficult to resolve through dialogue alone.

What to Watch

  • Whether the fighting in Ethiopia's Tigray region expands or stabilises after the government's capture of Mekelle.
  • Any further diplomatic initiatives or mediation efforts by the African Union or other international bodies.
  • The response from Ethiopia's government and whether it escalates accusations against its neighbours.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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