Four African leaders issue joint declaration as Ethiopia war escalates

What the report says

Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan issued a joint declaration after leaders from the four countries met in New Alamein City, Egypt, on Sunday, according to Al Jazeera. The statement called for political and peaceful solutions to conflicts in the region, including Sudan’s civil war and the worsening fighting in Ethiopia.

The leaders named were Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who leads Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council. The declaration backed Sudan’s military-led authorities and urged a political process involving Sudanese parties, while also warning against unilateral moves that could affect downstream states and Red Sea access.

Al Jazeera said the declaration came as Ethiopia accused Egypt, Eritrea and Sudan of supporting an armed alliance fighting its government; those countries denied involvement. The statement also appeared to reflect broader tensions over the Nile, the Red Sea and Ethiopia’s regional ambitions. In Somalia, Mohamud said separately that Mogadishu does not oppose Ethiopian commercial access to Somali ports if it is agreed with Somalia.

The article noted that the declaration was released as Ethiopian federal forces fought a seven-group alliance that includes the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, following renewed violence in the north and the reported retaking of Mekelle by government and allied forces.