Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held talks on Thursday with his Somali counterpart, Abdulsalam Abdi Ali, on ways to enhance bilateral relations and developments in the Horn of Africa and Red Sea regions. This came during a phone call between the two ministers, who discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties and build on the momentum of the strategic partnership between the two countries, according to a statement from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The two ministers emphasized continuing to develop bilateral cooperation in various economic, developmental, and investment fields, and supporting efforts to build Somali state institutions and enhance their capacities. Abdelatty stressed the importance of following up on the implementation of the outcomes of the "Quadripartite Consultative Summit" hosted by the Egyptian city of Alamein, which contributes to enhancing economic integration and integration among regional countries.
Horn of Africa tensions
The talks come amid tensions in the Horn of Africa region following Ethiopia's signing of a memorandum of understanding with the breakaway "Somaliland" region. The memorandum grants Addis Ababa the right to use a sea interface for commercial and military purposes, which Mogadishu strongly rejected, considering it a "blatant violation" of its sovereignty. In December 2025, Israel recognized the region, which unilaterally declared independence from Somalia in 1991.
Egyptian and Somali positions intersect regarding Ethiopian moves, as Cairo opposes Addis Ababa's efforts to obtain a sea outlet, coinciding with the ongoing Egyptian-Ethiopian dispute over the "Renaissance Dam" built by Ethiopia on the Blue Nile. Egypt, as one of the Red Sea riparian states, has repeatedly expressed its rejection of Ethiopia obtaining a military outlet on the Red Sea, considering it a landlocked country since its independence from Eritrea in 1993.
Relations between Cairo and Mogadishu have seen rapid convergence recently, culminating in the signing of a military cooperation protocol between the two countries, and Egypt sending military equipment to support the Somali army in protecting the country's sovereignty. The four countries also affirmed the principle of freedom of navigation, stating that the governance of the Red Sea is the exclusive responsibility of the riparian states.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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