Egypt and Eritrea reject the participation of non-littoral states in securing and governing the Red Sea.
The message from Cairo and Asmara comes after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's statements on Thursday, in which he affirmed that "access to the Red Sea is an existential demand" for his country. Addressing the Ethiopian parliament, he said that his country "does not seek to achieve this through war, but rather through dialogue and peace with Eritrea and Somalia."
Sisi's talks with the Eritrean foreign minister discussed "the situation in the Horn of Africa and ways to enhance stability in the region through joint efforts or the tripartite coordination mechanism with Somalia," according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.
Egypt, Eritrea, and Somalia launched a "tripartite coordination mechanism" during a summit that brought together the three countries' presidents last October, with the aim of "enhancing regional cooperation and supporting security and stability in the Horn of Africa." A ministerial meeting held in Cairo last January discussed mechanisms for activating coordination between the three countries.
Cairo and Asmara affirmed their "commitment to working to support Mogadishu in combating terrorism and preserving the unity and territorial integrity of Somalia." The meeting also addressed "ways to restore peace and stability in Sudan."
This comes as Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty warned of continued tensions in the Red Sea region. Speaking at a press conference with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaya Kallas in Cairo on Sunday, he said, "Militarization and escalation serve no party."
Abdel-Ati stressed the "need for a complete cessation of attacks on ships in the Red Sea," saying, "There is no justification for escalation and targeting of ships, and freedom of maritime navigation must be preserved."
The Yemeni Houthi group has resumed targeting international shipping in the southern Red Sea after Israel resumed its aggression against the Gaza Strip, following the end of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement in mid-March.
Last week, US President Donald Trump ordered a military campaign against the Houthis to force them to stop threatening international shipping in the Red Sea.
The Egyptian-Eritrean coordination comes at a crucial time, marked by escalating tensions in the Horn of Africa, according to the assessment of former Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister for African Affairs, Ambassador Mohamed Hegazy. He noted that "Cairo and Asmara reject the involvement of any parties or strategies from outside the Red Sea on its coast, in order to preserve the sovereignty of the coastal states."
In statements to Asharq Al-Awsat, Hegazy believes that “Egyptian-Eritrean consultations are necessary to stop the escalation and armed attacks in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, in addition to containing any conflict that may escalate in the region, as Cairo and Asmara did in supporting Somalia’s position and preserving its sovereignty in the face of Ethiopian moves to gain a sea outlet through an agreement with the separatist region of Somaliland last year.”
Cairo and Asmara rejected the preliminary agreement signed by Addis Ababa with the Somaliland region last year, which allows it to use the region's Red Sea coast for commercial and military purposes.
Red Sea security is a top priority for Egyptian-Eritrean coordination at this stage, according to Amani El-Taweel, director of the African Program at the Al-Ahram Center for Political Studies. She said, "Ethiopian moves to gain access to the sea pose an existential threat to Eritrea, given the history of ongoing conflict between Addis Ababa and Asmara."
Ethiopia lost its Red Sea coast with the independence of Eritrea in 1993.
Cairo is moving to engage with all parties influential in Red Sea security to restore calm to the region and secure navigation in the Suez Canal, according to Al-Tawil. She told Asharq Al-Awsat, "The decline in Suez Canal revenues, due to Red Sea tensions, poses a major challenge to Egyptian economic interests. The Egyptian government is seeking international support to de-escalate the situation in the region."
Egypt is suffering significant economic losses as a result of global shipping companies suspending their operations in the Suez Canal due to tensions in the Red Sea. This has led to a decline in canal revenues of more than 60 percent, according to official estimates.
