Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan hold summit amid Ethiopia tensions
All four countries have increasingly tense relations with Ethiopia, driven by disputes over the Nile, Red Sea access and security.
The leaders of Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan met on Sunday as renewed fighting in Ethiopia adds to a series of disputes over the Nile, the Red Sea and territorial sovereignty across the Horn of Africa.
What happened: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi hosted Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Sunday in Egypt’s New Alamein city.
Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia agreed to reject unilateral measures that harm existing uses of Nile waters and reaffirmed their commitment to international law and prior consultation over transboundary rivers, in a direct message to Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian… pic.twitter.com/ETitNJZWyF
— khaled mahmoued (@khaledmahmoued1) October 4, 2026
The meeting was the first four-way summit bringing together the leaders of the four countries. A joint statement following the meeting said that the four leaders discussed regional developments and agreed to strengthen political, trade and economic cooperation.
The leaders backed Sudan’s government and army, saying they supported “the unity, sovereignty, territorial integrity and national institutions of the Republic of Sudan” and rejected “the establishment of any parallel entities.” Sudan’s army, led by Burhan, continues to fight the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in a war that began in April 2023. The two sides have accused neighboring countries of supporting opposing factions in the conflict.
