Egypt, Eritrea, Sudan, and Somalia Issue Joint Declaration to Counter Ethiopian Aggression

Key points

• Egypt, Eritrea, Sudan, and Somalia issued a joint declaration on October 4, 2026, in New Alamein, Egypt, calling for peaceful, political solutions to regional conflicts.
• The declaration supported Sudan’s military-led government and rejected the creation of parallel entities, while calling for a Sudanese-led political process to end the civil war that began in April 2023.
• The four nations affirmed that Red Sea governance is the exclusive responsibility of coastal states, directly countering Ethiopia’s pursuit of sovereign naval access and a naval presence.
• Ethiopia accused Egypt, Eritrea, and Sudan of backing the rebel alliance fighting its government, including the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF); all three countries denied involvement.
• Ethiopian federal forces retook the Tigray capital, Mekelle, on October 5, 2026, after the TPLF announced it had temporarily withdrawn to operate from another location.

Background

This summit follows the collapse of the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement in Ethiopia, which ended a two-year civil war that killed an estimated 500,000 to 600,000 people. Since late September 2026, a seven-group rebel alliance, including the TPLF, has launched a coordinated offensive against the federal government, seizing key airports and spreading fighting into the Amhara and Afar regions. Diplomatic ties between Ethiopia and Eritrea collapsed on October 1, 2026, after Addis Ababa expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats and closed its embassy in Asmara. Sudan has been at war since April 2023 between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with both sides accusing each other of interference. Egypt and Sudan have long disputed Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Nile, with both nations warning against unilateral measures that harm downstream water users.

How outlets are covering it

Al Jazeera emphasized the joint declaration as a direct pushback against Ethiopian policies, highlighting the widening rift between Addis Ababa and its neighbors. Anadolu Ajansı focused on the bilateral talks between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, noting Sisi’s reaffirmation of support for Sudan’s unity and sovereignty. Kulu Media framed the summit as a broadening of diplomatic coordination in the Horn of Africa, noting that Egypt, Eritrea, and Somalia had previously held a trilateral summit in Asmara in October 2024. Eritrea’s Ministry of Information published the full text of the declaration, emphasizing the rejection of interference and support for national institutions. All sources agreed that Ethiopia accused the four nations of backing rebel forces, but all four countries denied involvement.

Why it matters

The joint declaration signals a coordinated diplomatic front against Ethiopia’s expanding military and political influence in the Horn of Africa and Red Sea region. It could reshape regional alliances, particularly as Ethiopia’s conflict with its neighbors intensifies. The declaration’s stance on Red Sea governance and Nile water rights may escalate tensions with Addis Ababa, which has pursued naval access and unilateral dam operations. The summit also underscores the fragility of peace in Sudan and Ethiopia, where ongoing conflicts risk spilling into neighboring countries and triggering a broader regional war.

What to watch

Ethiopian officials are preparing a new temporary administration for Tigray and hope to hold regional elections within months, according to state media. The four nations agreed to establish a mechanism to follow up on the summit’s outcomes, with periodic consultations to be held as needed. The African Union has called on Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Egypt to exercise maximum restraint. Ethiopia’s Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel accused Addis Ababa of creating a pretext for attacking Eritrea, while Ethiopian officials continue to accuse Eritrea of directly backing the rebel alliance. The situation in Sudan remains volatile, with the army and RSF continuing to fight for control of key territories.