Four African Countries Unite on Red Sea, Regional Security
The Facts
- Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia issued the El Alamein Joint Declaration on Sunday after a four-way summit in Egypt's coastal city of New Alamein, rejecting interference in the internal affairs of regional states "under any pretext."
- The declaration said freedom of navigation should be upheld and that governance of the Red Sea is the responsibility of its coastal states, as landlocked Ethiopia continues to seek sovereign access to the sea and a future naval presence.
- The four leaders backed Sudan's sovereignty and rejected "the establishment of any parallel entities" and support for mercenaries, while also opposing recognition of Somaliland, which declared independence in 1991 and was recognized by Israel in 2026.
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The Spin
Pro-government narrative
A summit of governments fighting insurgencies, civil war and secession claims lecturing a neighbor about sovereignty rings hollow. Hard power is the real game and boxing in a landlocked state of 130 million while openly courting its enemies only raises the risk of a wider regional war. Quiet negotiation over ports, borders and shared water would serve the Horn far better than a regional bloc designed to isolate Ethiopia.
Government-critical narrative
Ethiopia's hunt for a coastline and its go-it-alone dam building amount to bullying an entire neighborhood into subsidizing one country's ambitions. Blaming Cairo, Asmara and Khartoum for a rebellion rooted in Addis Ababa's own broken peace promises is a transparent attempt to shift responsibility abroad. Shared rivers and access to shared seas demand negotiation and consent, not unilateral moves, ultimatums and pressure backed by military threat.
