Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia Forge New Security Alignment in the Horn of Africa

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EL-ALAMEIN — Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia have agreed to deepen political, economic and security coordination, creating a new framework for cooperation across the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea as regional tensions reshape the strategic balance in the region.

The four governments reached the understanding on October 4 during a quadrilateral summit in New Alamein, where they agreed to establish a mechanism for regular consultations and follow-up on joint commitments. The arrangement covers security, economic cooperation and regional political coordination, according to Egypt’s presidency.

Security is at the centre of the emerging alignment. The countries backed Somalia’s efforts to strengthen its territorial integrity and combat terrorism, while supporting sustainable international financing for the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).

The agreement also places the Red Sea at the centre of regional security calculations. The four governments stressed that security and governance of the strategic waterway should involve the coastal states, reflecting growing competition over maritime routes linking the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

For Egypt, the initiative also has a direct Nile dimension. Cairo has reiterated its position that unilateral actions affecting the flow and use of the Nile should comply with international law, placing the four-country coordination framework within the wider geopolitical contest surrounding the river.

The emerging partnership builds on earlier security cooperation between Egypt, Somalia and Eritrea. Cairo and Mogadishu signed a military cooperation protocol in 2024, while Egypt has subsequently strengthened its security and defence relationship with Somalia.

The new framework does not amount to a formal collective-defence alliance comparable to NATO, and the governments have not announced a mutual-defence clause. Its significance instead lies in the creation of a coordinated political and security platform linking the Horn of Africa with the Red Sea.

The next test will be whether the mechanism converts political alignment into operational cooperation on counterterrorism, maritime security, regional stability and economic connectivity.