Egypt Calls Djibouti, and Completes a Ring Around Ethiopia
Cairo has now spoken to Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan and Djibouti inside a month. Addis Ababa has a word for the pattern, and it is not a friendly one. The post Egypt Calls Djibouti, and Completes a Ring Around Ethiopia appeared first on The Rio Times .
Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty spoke with Djibouti's Abdoulkader Houssein Omar by telephone on 22 August, marking the fourth regional security discussion between Egypt and its neighbors in a single month. This series of talks also included Eritrea, Somalia, and Sudan. In addition to security concerns, Abdelatty highlighted areas for expanded cooperation with Djibouti, such as renewable energy, construction, logistics zones, ports, and maritime connectivity.
He also advocated for a greater role for Egyptian private companies in Djibouti's development plans. The Red Sea, a strategic waterway, is considered the responsibility of its coastal states, excluding Ethiopia, which lacks a coastline. Ethiopia, a landlocked nation, has accused Egypt of pursuing an "encirclement" strategy, particularly regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
Egypt, Eritrea, and Somalia have endorsed the principle that the Red Sea's security and management belong to their respective states. Egypt has also supported Sudan's Sudanese Armed Forces in their ongoing conflict. The African Union's mid-year summit, set for Alamein on 4 October, will precede the inaugural African Business Summit.
Egypt is set to host these events, providing it with diplomatic influence over the continental agenda. The developments in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea have drawn a line of Cairo-aligned capitals along every coast Ethiopia does not possess.
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