Leaders of Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia, and Sudan have issued a joint declaration following a meeting in New Alamein City, Egypt, on October 4, 2026. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan attended the quadrilateral summit. The declaration emphasized the need for political and peaceful solutions to escalating conflicts in the region, including Sudan's civil war and major fighting in Ethiopia.
The joint declaration appeared to counter several policies pursued by Ethiopia in recent years, highlighting widening rifts between Addis Ababa and its neighbors. Ethiopia has accused Egypt, Eritrea, and Sudan of backing the armed alliance fighting its government, which the three countries have denied. Earlier on October 4, el-Sisi stated that cross-border challenges required "a dialogue, not confrontation."
The declaration expressed support for 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 (RSF). Sudan and Ethiopia have traded accusations of interference in Sudan's civil war. The declaration also emphasized that control of the Red Sea should remain with the coastal states.
The joint declaration seemingly responded to landlocked Ethiopia's pursuit of sovereign access to the sea and a naval presence. Somalia's President Mohamud stated that Mogadishu does not object to Ethiopia securing commercial access through Somali ports, provided it is agreed with Somalia. Egypt and Sudan, which have long disputed Ethiopia's Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Nile, warned against "unilateral measures" that harm downstream states.
The joint declaration was issued as fighting escalated in Ethiopia between federal forces and a seven-group armed alliance, including the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). The TPLF fought a brutal two-year war with the government that ended with a fragile peace deal in 2022. Government and allied forces retook the city of Mekelle on October 4 after the TPLF said it "temporarily moved out of" Tigray's regional capital to "operate from somewhere else."
Ethiopian state media reports indicated that former Tigray interim leader Abraham Belay stated on October 4 that the federal government is preparing a new temporary administration for the region and hopes to hold regional elections within months. Ethiopian officials have accused neighboring Eritrea of directly backing the rebel alliance in Ethiopia's civil war.
Eritrea's Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel responded to the accusations, stating that Addis Ababa was trying to create a pretext for attacking Eritrea. The situation in the region remains volatile, with ongoing conflicts and tensions between Ethiopia and its neighbors. The joint declaration by the four African leaders emphasizes the need for peaceful solutions to these conflicts.
Key points
- Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia, and Sudan call for peaceful solutions amid regional conflicts
- The joint declaration counters several policies pursued by Ethiopia in recent years
- Fighting escalates in Ethiopia between federal forces and a seven-group armed alliance
