Agreement Between Eritrea, Egypt, Somalia After Asmara Meeting

The Presidents of the three Horn of Africa countries agreed to enhance cooperation and assistance to Somalia in response to the crisis in Somaliland

Eritrea, Egypt, and Somalia announced a strategic cooperation agreement following a meeting held in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, on October 10. Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki met on the occasion with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

In a note issued at the end of the summit and published by Agenzia Fides, the heads of state “emphasized the need to adhere to the fundamental principles and pillars of international law, particularly the maximum respect for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of the countries of the region.” In addition to this, the three countries expressed their intention to develop cooperation to help Somalia cope with the challenges it faces.

Essentially it is about terrorism inside the country and fighting against Ethiopia outside. At issue is an agreement signed by Addis Ababa in January 2024 with Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, which offers Ethiopia the use of a stretch of coastline and a naval base in exchange for recognizing the region’s autonomy as an autonomous state.

Somalia’s response was to strengthen ties with Turkey, and since that summit, with Egypt and Eritrea. This is a moment of particular tension in the Horn of Africa because in addition to the local problems between Somalia and Ethiopia, there is the war in Sudan, there are the disagreements between Ethiopia and Egypt (related to the giant dam on the Nile, among other things), and the problems of the countries bordering the Red Sea related to the Middle East crisis.