Four African Leaders Demand Peaceful Resolution as Ethiopia Conflict Intensifies

Leaders from Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia, and Sudan have issued a unified call for political and peaceful resolutions to the escalating conflicts gripping the region, including the ongoing civil war in Sudan and intensifying combat in Ethiopia. The four heads of state—Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan—released the joint declaration on Sunday following a summit in New Alamein City, Egypt.

Ethiopia has accused Egypt, Eritrea, and Sudan of providing support to an armed alliance opposing its government, charges that officials from all three nations have firmly denied. Prior to the announcement, President el-Sisi emphasized that cross-border challenges require dialogue rather than confrontation.

The declaration represents a clear pushback against several policies pursued by Ethiopia in recent years, highlighting growing tensions between Addis Ababa and its neighbors. Notably, the statement endorsed Sudan’s military-led government and advocated for a political process driven by Sudanese parties, directly countering Ethiopia’s accusations of interference in the conflict that has raged since April 2023 between the national army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Additionally, the leaders asserted that control of the Red Sea must remain with coastal states, a move seen as a direct response to landlocked Ethiopia’s efforts to secure sovereign access to the sea and establish a naval presence. Somali President Mohamud clarified on Saturday that Mogadishu does not oppose Ethiopia obtaining commercial access through Somali ports, provided such arrangements are mutually agreed upon.

Egypt and Sudan, which have longstanding disputes with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Nile, also warned against what they termed “unilateral measures” detrimental to downstream states. The declaration comes as federal forces and allied troops recaptured the city of Mekelle from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a key member of the seven-group armed alliance fighting the Ethiopian government. The TPLF stated it “temporarily moved out” of the regional capital to operate from another location.

According to Ethiopian state media, former Tigray interim leader Abraham Belay announced on Sunday that the federal government is preparing a new temporary administration for the region and aims to hold regional elections within months. Meanwhile, Eritrea’s Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel accused Addis Ababa of attempting to create a pretext for an attack on Eritrea via a post on the social media platform X.