Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia, and Sudan Sign El-Alamein Declaration to Coordinate Red Sea and Nile Security

The governments of Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia, and Sudan have formally established a joint security mechanism to govern the Red Sea and the Nile River, effectively encircling Ethiopia with a unified diplomatic front. The four nations signed the El-Alamein Declaration on Sunday, committing to periodic summits and a permanent executive body to coordinate their regional policies.[1][4]

The agreement reshapes the balance of power in the Horn of Africa by merging three separate disputes—Nile water rights, Red Sea access, and Somali territorial integrity—into a single geopolitical bloc. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi hosted the quadrilateral summit in New Alamein City, bringing Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan into an existing trilateral alignment.[1][4]

Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud joined the discussions, which focused on pressing regional developments and maritime security. The leaders agreed to establish a joint follow-up monitoring group tasked with coordinating policy implementation across their respective capitals.[1]

"The leaders agreed to uphold the fundamental principles of international law, particularly respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of states," the joint declaration stated. The text explicitly rejected the creation of parallel administrative entities and foreign support for mercenary forces across the region.[1][3]

Red Sea governance and maritime access

While the document does not name Ethiopia directly, its provisions systematically target Addis Ababa's core strategic interests. The declaration asserts that governance of the Red Sea remains the exclusive responsibility of its coastal states, alongside an adherence to international maritime transit rules.[1][3]

This stance delivers a direct rebuke to landlocked Ethiopia's ongoing campaign to secure a naval base and commercial port access in the region. Addis Ababa has argued that its population size and economic weight require reliable sea access, but the summit firmly restricted maritime security arrangements to littoral nations.[3][4]

The diplomatic escalation follows a week of severe ruptures across the Horn of Africa, marking the most serious regional crisis since the 2020-2022 Tigray war. Ethiopia recently expelled an Egyptian diplomat, prompting Cairo to retaliate in kind, while Addis Ababa also ordered the closure of its embassy in Asmara and expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats.[4]

Egypt has already begun projecting hard power to back its diplomatic maneuvering, maintaining an estimated 15,000-strong military presence in Somalia. Cairo has also established naval and army sites in Eritrea, further isolating Ethiopia regionally as military cooperation among the allied nations deepens.[4]

The Nile dispute and water security

The four leaders also demanded strict compliance with international law regarding transboundary rivers, specifically citing the principle of causing no harm. They mandated prior notification and consensus for any projects affecting the Nile, rejecting unilateral measures that compromise the water quotas of downstream states.[1][2]

Cairo and Khartoum have spent years opposing the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam without a legally binding agreement. By incorporating Eritrea and Somalia into the water security declaration, Egypt has successfully broadened a bilateral water dispute into a regional security mandate.[1][4]

"The summit mandated cooperation through prior notification, consultation, and consensus, stating a complete rejection of any unilateral measures that harm the existing water uses of the Nile's downstream states," the Daily News Egypt reported. This language aligns directly with Egypt's long-standing diplomatic position opposing unilateral developments along the river.[1]

Ethiopia maintains that the hydroelectric project is essential to its national development and rejects arrangements it considers to restrict its sovereign use of the Blue Nile. The dam has been a source of friction for over a decade, but the inclusion of non-riparian states like Somalia and Eritrea signals a new phase of pressure.[4]

Somali sovereignty and Somaliland

On the Somali front, the El-Alamein Declaration delivered unequivocal backing for Mogadishu's territorial integrity. The four governments categorically rejected any international recognition of Somaliland, describing such moves as a direct infringement on Somalia's sovereignty and national unity.[1][2]

The endorsement strengthens Somalia's diplomatic position as it resists a controversial memorandum of understanding signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland earlier this year. That agreement, which offered Ethiopia coastal access in exchange for potential recognition of Somaliland, triggered the current wave of regional realignments.[2][4]

The summit also called for sustainable, predictable funding allocations toward the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia. The leaders emphasized the need to advance counter-terrorism efforts and facilitate an orderly transfer of security responsibilities to Somali federal forces.[1]

For Sudan, the summit provided crucial regional backing for its army-led government amid a devastating internal conflict. The declaration supported Sudan's national institutions and called for a Sudanese-led political process, rejecting any external support for the rival Rapid Support Forces.[1][3]

Shifting regional alliances

Addis Ababa has previously faced accusations from neighboring authorities of facilitating support for opposition rebellions, allegations that Ethiopia firmly denies. The unified stance from El-Alamein reinforces the legitimacy of the signatory governments while warning neighboring states against interfering in ongoing civil conflicts.[4]

The four-nation bloc represents a significant expansion of previous diplomatic alignments, bringing Sudan into a framework originally built around Egypt, Eritrea, and Somalia. The inclusion of Khartoum demonstrates a converging set of strategic concerns among Ethiopia's neighbors, uniting them despite their own differing domestic priorities.[1][4]

The African Union has urged all parties to refrain from rhetoric that could further destabilize the region, calling for disputes to be resolved through dialogue. However, the establishment of a permanent follow-up mechanism by the El-Alamein signatories suggests the four-nation bloc intends to institutionalize its coordinated stance.[1][4]

The coming months will test whether this diplomatic encirclement forces Addis Ababa to moderate its regional ambitions or accelerates the militarization of the Horn of Africa. With formal mechanisms now in place, the allied nations have drawn clear red lines around their maritime and territorial borders.[1][4]