Egypt strengthens relations with Africa

Doaa El-Bey , Tuesday 14 Jan 2025

Egypt is intensifying cooperation and coordination with African states

Egypt strengthens relations with Africa

 

In the last few months, Egypt has held meetings and contacts with African states that aim to boost bilateral relations, address major challenges that face the continent, especially in Sudan and the Horn of Africa, and cast light on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) file.

Cairo’s efforts to protect its interests in the Horn of Africa and the Nile Basin are linked to wider continental goals which include boosting trade, investment, and development potential, says Mohamed Hegazi, a former deputy to Egypt’s foreign minister.

Security in the Red Sea was addressed this week during a tripartite meeting between Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty and his Eritrean and Somali counterparts Osman Saleh and Ahmed Moalim Fiqi.

In a joint press conference held after the meeting, Abdelatty underlined the need to support security and stability in the Horn of Africa and secure maritime navigation in the Red Sea, and stressed Cairo’s opposition to non-littoral countries maintaining a military or naval presence.

Abdelatty also expressed Cairo’s commitment to “Somalia’s stability, security, and integrity, and support for the government in extending its control over its entire territory and fighting terrorism”.

“We are looking at a long-term alliance rather than an exchange of visits,” explained Hegazi, adding that Abdelatty’s comments highlight the importance Cairo attaches to sending the message “to Ethiopia that the security of the Red Sea is the duty of littoral states and that the presence of non-littoral states in the Red Sea will not be tolerated.”

The Sudanese crisis topped the three foreign ministers’ agenda. Abdelatty stressed the commitment of all three states to preserving the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sudan and its state institutions.

The three ministers also participated in the inaugural meeting of the trilateral ministerial committee. The next trilateral committee meeting will take place in the Somali capital Mogadishu, Abdelatty said at the press conference, and arrangements are underway for a trilateral summit at the presidential level.

This week’s tripartite meeting built on the foundations laid during President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi’s visit to Eritrea in October last year and meetings with his Eritrean and Somali counterparts Isaias Afwerki and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud during which all three agreed on the importance of cooperation among Red Sea coastal states to maintain security along the vital maritime passage.

The summit in October, and this week’s tripartite meeting, underline how alliances in the region are changing and will contribute to boosting security and peace efforts in Somalia, said Hegazi.

“Cairo has taken several important steps, in coordination with Mogadishu and Asmara, that are likely to contribute to peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts in Somalia. They include taking part in peacekeeping efforts in Somalia and participation in the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission (AUSSOM).”

Abdelatty held separate meetings with his Eritrean and Somali counterparts to discuss enhancing relations, regional cooperation, and security in the Horn of Africa.

Egypt has repeatedly expressed the need to preserve the unity, stability, and integrity of Somalia as part and parcel of security in the Red Sea. During a meeting last month, Abdelatty and Fiqi stressed the need to accelerate the formation of AUSSOM.

Both officials urged African Union partners to provide sustainable funding for AUSSOM and support the Somali army in combating terrorism and protecting the state.

AUSSOM officially replaced the UN-mandated African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) on 1 January.

This week’s trilateral meeting was held a day after Abdelatty spoke with his Djiboutian counterpart Mahmoud Ali Youssouf. During their telephone conversation, both officials called for enhanced cooperation among states bordering the Red Sea.

The call focused on boosting bilateral relations, developments in the Horn of Africa and support for Somalia, with both sides underlining the importance of preserving Somalia’s unity, stability, and territorial integrity.

GERD and its impacts on Egypt’s water security were raised earlier this week during Abdelatty’s meeting with South Sudan’s newly appointed Minister of Trade and Industry Joseph Mum Majak. Majak previously served as South Sudan’s ambassador to Egypt.  

During the meeting, Abdelatty highlighted Cairo’s opposition to unilateral actions that impact shared water resources and stressed the need to abide by international legal frameworks, and the importance of Nile Basin countries resolving water issues consensually. He also stressed Egypt’s ongoing commitment to South Sudan’s stability and development, pointing out Egypt’s active involvement in projects related to irrigation, electricity, and water resources.

Water security was also discussed during Abdelatty’s meeting with his Sudanese counterpart Ali Youssef Al-Sherif. Both downstream countries stressed the need for continuous coordination and cooperation to safeguard water rights and ensure Nile Basin states adhere to international law.

Abdelatty underlined Egypt’s solidarity with Sudan during this critical time.

January has also seen phone calls with Mozambique’s acting foreign minister, and the Congolese, Guinea Bissau, Kenyan, Chad, and Cameroon foreign ministers, all aimed at boosting bilateral relations, tackling regional issues and exploring ways to develop the continent.


* A version of this article appears in print in the 16 January, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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