Four African Leaders Call for Dialogue as Ethiopia Conflict Escalates

Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan have called for political dialogue and peaceful solutions to regional conflicts as fighting intensifies in Ethiopia and Sudan’s civil war continues. The four countries issued a joint declaration after their leaders met in New Alamein, Egypt, on October 4. The summit brought together Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The meeting comes as Ethiopia faces renewed fighting between federal forces and a multi-group armed alliance that inc

Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan have called for political dialogue and peaceful solutions to regional conflicts as fighting intensifies in Ethiopia and Sudan’s civil war continues. The four countries issued a joint declaration after their leaders met in New Alamein, Egypt, on October 4. The summit brought together Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The meeting comes as Ethiopia faces renewed fighting between federal forces and a multi-group armed alliance that includes the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Ethiopian government and allied forces recently retook Mekelle, Tigray’s regional capital, after TPLF forces said they had temporarily withdrawn from the city. The development has raised fresh concerns that the fragile 2022 peace agreement could be at risk. The four-nation declaration also touches on several disputes involving Ethiopia and its neighbours. On the Red Sea, the leaders said governance of the strategic waterway should remain the responsibility of coastal states. The position comes as landlocked Ethiopia continues to pursue reliable access to the sea, including potential commercial and maritime arrangements with neighbouring countries. Somalia has said it is open to Ethiopia using its ports for commercial purposes, provided any agreement is negotiated with Mogadishu. The declaration also addressed the Nile. Egypt and Sudan have long opposed what they describe as unilateral measures by Ethiopia concerning the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, arguing that downstream water interests must be protected. Ethiopia, however, considers the dam central to its electricity generation and economic development and has consistently defended its right to use its water resources. The four leaders also called for a political process to end Sudan’s war, which has continued since April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. The declaration backed Sudan’s unity and state institutions and called for a political solution led by Sudanese parties. The summit takes place against a wider deterioration in relations across the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia has accused neighbouring Eritrea of supporting armed groups fighting the federal government, while Eritrean officials have rejected the allegations and accused Addis Ababa of creating a justification for confrontation. Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan have therefore placed dialogue at the centre of their public message, even as major disagreements with Ethiopia remain unresolved. The immediate challenge is whether diplomacy can contain the region’s overlapping disputes over security, territory, water and access to the Red Sea — before they become interconnected conflicts across the Horn of Africa.