Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia And Sudan Call For Talks As Ethiopia War Escalates

Four African leaders have called for dialogue and political solutions to mounting conflicts in the Horn of Africa, as fighting between Ethiopian federal forces and an armed alliance intensifies and Sudan’s civil war continues.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan issued the joint declaration on Sunday after meeting in New Alamein City in Egypt. The statement backed Sudan’s military-led government, opposed unilateral measures affecting downstream states and said control of the Red Sea should remain with coastal countries, while appearing to push back against several policies pursued by Ethiopia in recent years.

The declaration comes amid growing tensions between Ethiopia and its neighbours. Addis Ababa has accused Egypt, Eritrea and Sudan of backing an armed alliance fighting the Ethiopian government, allegations that officials from all three countries have denied.

Leaders call for talks on regional conflicts

Earlier on Sunday, el-Sisi said that cross-border challenges required “a dialogue, not confrontation”.

According to Al Jazeera, the 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, when fighting broke out between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Sudan and Ethiopia have also traded accusations of interference in Sudan’s civil war.

The joint statement also addressed tensions surrounding the Red Sea. It said control of the Red Sea should remain with coastal states, a position that appeared to respond to Ethiopia’s pursuit of sovereign access to the sea and a naval presence.

Somalia has said it does not oppose Ethiopia obtaining commercial access through its ports. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud told Al Jazeera on Saturday that Mogadishu had no objection to such access, provided it was agreed with Somalia.

Egypt and Sudan warn over Nile measures

The leaders also addressed the long-running dispute over Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Nile.

Egypt and Sudan, which have long disputed Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, warned against what they described as “unilateral measures” that harm downstream states.

The declaration appeared to reflect widening rifts between Ethiopia and its neighbours over Addis Ababa’s policies on the Nile and Red Sea.

Fighting escalates in Ethiopia

The declaration was issued as fighting intensified in Ethiopia between federal forces and a seven-group armed alliance that includes the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).

The TPLF fought a two-year war against the Ethiopian government that ended with a fragile peace deal in 2022. Ethiopian government forces and their allies retook the city of Mekelle on Sunday after the TPLF said it had “temporarily moved out of” Tigray’s regional capital to “operate from somewhere else”.

According to Ethiopian state media reports, former Tigray interim leader Abraham Belay said on Sunday that the federal government was preparing a new temporary administration for the region and hoped to hold regional elections within months.

Ethiopian officials have accused neighbouring Eritrea of directly backing the rebel alliance in the renewed fighting.

Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel rejected the accusation in a post on X on Sunday, saying that Addis Ababa was trying to create a pretext for attacking Eritrea.