Somalia, Egypt, Eritrea voice commitment to international law
Somalia, Egypt and Eritrea have reiterated their commitment to observing the international law principles, the Eritrean government said.
The three nations further emphasised their determination to respect “the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of the countries in the region.”
The sentiments were made during a meeting involving Eritrea’s President Isaias Afwerki, his Somali counterpart Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
Afwerki hosted Hassan Sheikh and Sisi in Eritrea’s capital Asmara.
‘Deepening cooperation’
The heads of state also agreed to “develop and deepen cooperation and coordination between the three countries to enhance Somali State institutions to confront various internal and external challenges,” Eritrea’s Information Minister Yemane Meskel said in a statement.
According to Meskel, the agreed cooperation “will help the Somali National Federal Army to confront terrorism in all its forms.”
Presidents Afwerki, Hassan Sheikh, and Sisi also agreed to establish a Joint Tripartite Committee comprising their foreign ministers for “strategic cooperation in all fields.”
The three leaders’ summit comes on the back of tensions between Somalia and its neighbour Ethiopia over a contentious port access deal that Addis Ababa signed with Somalia’s region of Somaliland in January.
Türkiye mediating Ethiopia-Somalia dispute
Somalia rejected the Ethiopia port access deal, and vowed to protect its sovereignty.
Türkiye is mediating the resultant dispute between Somalia and Ethiopia.
During their meeting on Thursday, Presidents Afwerki, Hassan Sheikh and Sisi also discussed the war in Sudan and its “regional repercussions.”
Thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced by the Sudanese war that erupted in April 2023 after the leaders of the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) differed.
