Friday January 10, 2025
From left to right: Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Mohamud Fiqi, Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty, and Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh Mohammed share a moment of unity at the 2024 UN General Assembly
Mogadishu (HOL) — Egypt will host trilateral talks on Saturday involving Somalia and Eritrea as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen regional alliances and enhance security cooperation in the Horn of Africa, according to Egyptian media.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty will chair the meeting with his counterparts, Ahmed Moalim Fiqi of Somalia and Osman Saleh Mohammed of Eritrea. The trilateral discussions aim to follow up on agreements reached during the Asmara Summit in October 2024, which emphasized enhancing regional stability, safeguarding maritime routes in the Red Sea and Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, and fostering economic collaboration.
The meeting will focus on implementing agreements from the October summit, where the leaders of Egypt, Somalia, and Eritrea committed to enhancing cooperation in the wake of Ethiopia’s controversial port deal with Somaliland. The agreement granted Ethiopia access to the Berbera port and was condemned by the trilateral alliance as a breach of its sovereignty. Eritrea and Egypt, wary of Ethiopia’s broader ambitions, have aligned themselves with Mogadishu in opposing the deal.
Turkey’s Ankara Declaration in December 2024 sought to mediate these tensions, emphasizing Somalia’s territorial integrity while granting Ethiopia conditional access to Somali ports. However, unresolved disputes underscore the complexity of navigating the region’s geopolitical landscape.
Egyptian officials said the meeting would focus on maritime safety and counter-terrorism. Particular emphasis will be placed on securing vital trade routes in the Red Sea and Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, combating piracy, and addressing illicit trafficking.
Somalia’s Defense Minister, Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, is also in Cairo for separate talks with his Egyptian counterpart. These discussions center on Egypt’s involvement in the African Union Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) and the potential deployment of Egyptian troops to support Somalia’s peacebuilding efforts.
Further negotiations between Somalia and Egypt are expected in the middle of next week to finalize military cooperation and strategic logistics details.
Eritrea, a key military ally of Somalia, has trained thousands of Somali troops in specialized counter-terrorism and naval operations.