Egypt Hosts Four-Way Summit to Strengthen Regional Alliance Amid Rising Tensions with Ethiopia

The leaders of Egypt, Eritrea, Sudan, and Somalia gathered on Sunday for a high-level summit in the coastal city of Alamein. The meeting aims to solidify a loose alliance among the four nations as regional tensions with Ethiopia continue to escalate.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi hosted Sudan's army chief and de facto leader Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, Somalia's Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea. While the Egyptian presidency initially stated the gathering was meant to coordinate and consult on regional interests, sources indicated the leaders would announce measures to deepen military cooperation and safeguard Red Sea shipping.

The summit follows accusations from Addis Ababa that Egypt, Sudan, and Eritrea have been aiding an anti-government rebellion led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front. All three nations have denied these allegations. Diplomatic tensions have recently flared further, with Egypt and Ethiopia mutually expelling diplomats, following Ethiopia's closure of its embassy in Eritrea and Asmara's subsequent decision to sever diplomatic ties.

The four participating countries share a continuous Red Sea coastline stretching from Egypt to Somalia, nearly encircling Ethiopia. Egypt, possessing the largest military in the Middle East, has actively built military ties with Eritrea, Somalia, and Sudan. Cairo currently maintains thousands of troops in Somalia, operates military sites in Eritrea, and is reportedly supporting the Sudanese Armed Forces in their conflict against the Rapid Support Forces.

These strategic moves are largely seen as efforts to pressure Ethiopia regarding a decade-old dispute over the massive Nile dam. Egypt views the dam as an existential threat that could severely diminish its vital water supply and destabilize its economy.