Somali and Egyptian presidents shake hands during a meeting in Egypt focused on bilateral relations, regional security and stability in the Horn of Africa. Photo: Egyptian Presidency

NNA News - Egypt and Somalia have agreed to strengthen coordination on security and stability across the Horn of Africa, Gulf of Aden, Bab al-Mandab Strait and Red Sea, as diplomatic tensions between countries in the region continue to intensify.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held talks on Saturday on the sidelines of the Alamein Africa Business Forum in New Alamein, where they discussed Somalia's internal political and security situation, bilateral relations and wider regional developments. The Egyptian presidency said the two leaders agreed on continued coordination among Egypt, Somalia and other regional states on security issues affecting the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea. Cairo also reaffirmed its support for Somalia's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.

Mohamud thanked El-Sisi for maintaining consultation and coordination with Somalia and praised Egypt's political, security and development support.

The Somali president said Somalia was proud of its “historic and fraternal ties” with Egypt, according to reporting by Ahram Online on the meeting.

El-Sisi also stressed the importance of political consensus within Somalia, saying greater agreement among the country's political factions and communities was necessary to preserve state unity and strengthen stability. 

The meeting took place as Egypt sought to bring together several countries from the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea for wider consultations. The Egyptian presidency said the leaders of Egypt, Eritrea, Sudan and Somalia were due to attend a four-way consultative summit in New Alamein on Sunday.

The gathering comes against the backdrop of a sharp deterioration in Ethiopia's relations with Eritrea and Egypt. Ethiopia has accused its neighbours of supporting armed opposition groups, allegations that the countries involved have rejected. Ethiopia has also closed its embassy in Eritrea and expelled Eritrean diplomats, while Asmara has announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Addis Ababa.

The United States has also expressed concern about the widening regional tensions. “Increasing cross-border tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea have the potential to affect the entire region,” the US State Department said in a statement on Saturday. 

Washington urged the two countries to “exercise maximum restraint and return to dialogue and cooperation.” 

The renewed tensions coincide with fighting in northern Ethiopia, where federal forces have advanced into Mekelle as the Tigray conflict threatens to undermine the relative calm that followed the 2022 peace agreement. The developments have increased concerns that instability could spread beyond Ethiopia's borders.

For Somalia, the security relationship with Egypt also has a domestic dimension. Cairo has repeatedly backed Somalia's state institutions and security efforts, while the two countries elevated their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in January 2025. The agreement covers political, security and economic cooperation.

Speaking at the Alamein Africa Business Forum on Sunday, Mohamud also sought to present Somalia as an emerging investment destination. “Somalia is not only a country recovering from conflict; it is a country rebuilding and reforming its economy. We are open to trade and investment, and we welcome anyone ready to build with us,” Mohamud said.

El-Sisi used the African Union's Mid-Year Coordination Meeting in New Alamein on Sunday to call for stronger continental cooperation. “Coordination is not an end; rather, it is an indispensable means to shift from fragmented efforts to integrated ones,” he said. 

The Egyptian and Somali governments are therefore positioning their bilateral relationship within a wider regional framework, with maritime security, state sovereignty and stability in the Horn of Africa increasingly linked to developments in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The outcome of Sunday's four-country summit could provide further indication of how Egypt, Somalia, Eritrea and Sudan intend to respond to the changing security environment around the Horn of Africa.