Red Sea Belongs to Its Coastal States, Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia Declare

The leaders of Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia have issued a joint declaration asserting that the governance of the Red Sea is the exclusive responsibility of its littoral states. The El Alamein Joint Declaration was issued on Sunday, October 4, 2026, following a quadrilateral consultative summit hosted by Egypt in New Alamein City.

The summit was attended by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council. The leaders discussed regional and international developments, as well as ways to strengthen political, economic, trade and cultural cooperation among the four countries.

The declaration affirmed the principle of freedom of navigation and stated that governance of the Red Sea is the exclusive responsibility of its littoral states. It also underscored the necessity of ensuring the freedom and safety of international navigation in the Gulf of Aden and the Bab-el-Mandeb strait.

On Sudan, the leaders expressed support for the country’s unity, sovereignty, territorial integrity and national institutions. They rejected the establishment of any parallel entities and expressed total refusal of any support for mercenaries. They also encouraged the resumption of a Sudanese-owned and Sudanese-led political process.

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Regarding Somalia, the declaration affirmed support for its unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The leaders rejected any recognition of or support for Somaliland, considering it an infringement of Somalia’s sovereignty. They also backed Somalia’s counter-terrorism efforts and called on regional and international partners to provide adequate, sustainable and predictable funding for the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia.

On water rights, the leaders stressed the importance of respecting international law governing transboundary rivers, including the Nile. They particularly emphasised the principle of no significant harm and the obligation to cooperate through prior notification, consultation and consensus. They categorically rejected any unilateral measures that harm the existing water uses of the two downstream Nile states, Egypt and Sudan.

The summit came amid growing regional tensions. Ethiopia severed diplomatic relations with Eritrea on October 1, 2026, after ordering the closure of its embassy in Asmara and expelling 10 Eritrean diplomats, accusing Eritrea of supporting armed opposition groups. Eritrea rejected the allegations and responded by cutting diplomatic ties. Ethiopia also expelled an Egyptian diplomat, prompting reciprocal measures from Egypt. Addis Ababa accused Eritrea, Egypt and Sudan of supporting the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, allegations all three countries have rejected.

The four leaders agreed to establish a mechanism to follow up on the summit’s outcomes and to convene the consultative summit periodically, and whenever necessary, to strengthen consultation and coordination. The declaration also emphasised respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of states in the region, rejected interference in their internal affairs, and called for political and peaceful solutions to regional conflicts.

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