Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, and Somalia Form Strategic Horn of Africa Alliance

The leaders of Egypt, Eritrea, Sudan, and Somalia have signaled the emergence of a new alliance aimed at influencing the geopolitical landscape of the Horn of Africa and ensuring regional security. Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, head of the Sudanese Armed Forces and de facto leader of Sudan Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and President Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea convened on Sunday in the Egyptian city of Alamein.

This historic first meeting comes as the four nations navigate profound regional challenges. Egypt remains locked in a dispute with Ethiopia over Nile water sharing, while Sudan and Ethiopia face devastating civil wars. Meanwhile, Somalia continues its struggle against a long-standing insurgency led by Al Qaeda-linked extremists.

Although a joint statement issued late Sunday made no direct mention of Ethiopia or Israel, the formation of this loose four-nation coalition threatens to reshape the geopolitics of the strategic Red Sea corridor, which boasts rich natural resources and a porous coastline. Ethiopia has previously accused Egypt, Sudan, and Eritrea of supporting anti-government rebellions, a charge the three nations deny.

The leaders emphasized their commitment to Sudan's territorial unity, rejecting foreign backing for parallel identities and mercenaries, an apparent reference to the Rapid Support Forces fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces. Regarding Somalia, the leaders firmly rejected any recognition or support for Somaliland. They also asserted that the governance and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea remain the exclusive responsibility of littoral states, pushing back against landlocked Ethiopia's ambitions to secure permanent Red Sea access.

On the Nile water dispute, the coalition underscored the necessity of respecting international laws governing transnational rivers and roundly rejected unilateral actions that jeopardize water access for downstream nations Egypt and Sudan. This diplomatic alignment follows heightened tensions, including recent diplomatic expulsions between Egypt and Ethiopia, as well as the severance of ties between Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Egypt has increasingly bolstered its military ties with Eritrea, Somalia, and Sudan. With a powerful military footprint that includes peacekeepers and naval sites in the region, Cairo aims to pressure Ethiopia regarding its Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project while preventing landlocked rivals from securing Red Sea footholds.