Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan call for peaceful Solutions to regional conflicts

The leaders of Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan have called for political and peaceful solutions to regional conflicts and reaffirmed their commitment to sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in the affairs of states.

The leaders made the commitments in a joint statement issued after a quadripartite consultative summit held in New Alamein, Egypt, on Sunday at the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

The summit brought together El-Sisi, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council Chairman Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan.

According to the joint declaration, the leaders discussed regional and international developments as well as ways to strengthen political, commercial and economic cooperation among the four countries.

The leaders stressed that international law should remain the foundation for regional stability and cooperation, particularly respect for sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. They also rejected interference in the internal affairs of regional countries and called for the strengthening of national institutions and peaceful political solutions to conflicts.

On Sudan, the four leaders expressed support for the country’s unity, sovereignty, territorial integrity and national institutions. They rejected the establishment of parallel entities and called for the resumption of a political process under Sudanese ownership and leadership.

The statement also rejected support for mercenaries and called for continued support for Sudanese national institutions.

On Somalia, the leaders reaffirmed their support for the country’s unity and sovereignty and rejected what they described as interference or actions targeting Somalia’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty.

They also rejected any recognition or support for Somaliland, stating that such actions would constitute an infringement on Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial unity.

The summit further endorsed Somalia’s efforts to combat terrorism and strengthen the authority of state institutions across the country. The leaders called on regional and international partners to provide adequate, sustainable and predictable funding for the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).

The four countries also addressed the Red Sea, affirming freedom of navigation and stating that governance of the waterway is the exclusive responsibility of its coastal states.

The position comes amid wider regional debate over access to the Red Sea and Ethiopia’s longstanding efforts to secure sovereign access to the sea.

The leaders also discussed transboundary rivers, including the Nile, and stressed the importance of respecting international law and the principle of no harm. They called for cooperation through prior notification, consultation and agreement and rejected unilateral actions that could harm existing water uses of downstream Nile Basin countries.

The summit agreed to establish a mechanism to follow up on its decisions. The consultative summit is expected to be held periodically and whenever necessary to strengthen coordination among the four countries and other African states.

The presidents of Eritrea and Somalia, together with Sudan’s leadership, expressed appreciation to President El-Sisi for hosting the summit.

Mustaqbal