Eritrea, Algeria put Red Sea security at centre of UNGA81 talks

NEW YORK — Eritrea and Algeria placed Red Sea security, African sovereignty and opposition to foreign intervention at the centre of talks between their foreign ministers on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh and his Algerian counterpart Ahmed Attaf discussed peace and security in Africa, including developments in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, according to Eritrea's official account of the meeting. The two ministers reaffirmed respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of African states and rejected foreign intervention that has contributed to conflicts on the continent.

Algérie Presse Service said Saleh and Attaf reviewed bilateral relations and major regional and international issues, particularly developments in the Red Sea and Horn of Africa. It said the two sides stressed peaceful settlement of conflicts and greater reliance on African mechanisms and initiatives under the principle of “African solutions to African problems.”

The language carries additional significance following Algeria's sharp deterioration in relations with the United Arab Emirates earlier this month.

On September 10, Algeria severed diplomatic relations with the UAE after accusing Abu Dhabi of repeated “provocative and hostile” actions. The Algerian Foreign Ministry said it had exhausted efforts to preserve bilateral relations.

Algeria subsequently closed its airspace to UAE-registered civilian and military aircraft from September 11, while allowing Emirati commercial flights serving Algiers to continue until the end of 2026 under an existing contract.

The dispute followed years of widening differences between Algiers and Abu Dhabi over regional affairs. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune had publicly accused the UAE of interfering in and destabilising states in the region. Algeria and the UAE have also differed over Western Sahara, Israel and developments across North Africa and the Sahel.

Against that background, the Saleh-Attaf meeting highlights a documented area of convergence between Eritrean and Algerian diplomacy: an emphasis on sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-interference and regional or African-led approaches to security.

For Eritrea, the talks also extend a series of UNGA81 diplomatic engagements centred on the Red Sea and Horn of Africa at a time when maritime security, foreign military involvement and competition for influence around the Red Sea corridor are receiving growing regional attention.