Isaias and Somali President Discuss Unity and Bilateral Ties

Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud discussed bilateral relations and efforts to safeguard Somalia’s territorial integrity, unity and stability in Egypt’s El Alamein on Monday, October 5.

The leaders emphasised the importance of a political environment that rejects external interference and strengthens peace and national cohesion, Eritrea’s Ministry of Information said.

Isaias said federal governance arrangements in Somalia and elsewhere in the region had often fallen short of people’s aspirations for unity. He advocated governance based on citizenship, arguing that political structures that deepen socioeconomic, religious and ethnic divisions can prolong crises and encourage foreign intervention.

Hassan Sheikh Mohamud expressed gratitude to Isaias and the Eritrean people for their support for Somalia’s government and people.

The meeting followed Sunday’s quadrilateral summit in New El Alamein, where Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi hosted the leaders of Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan.

Their El-Alamein Joint Declaration reaffirmed Somalia’s sovereignty and unity, rejecting interference threatening its territorial integrity, including recognition of or support for Somaliland.

The declaration also backed Somalia’s counterterrorism efforts and the extension of state authority across the country. It called for adequate, sustainable and predictable financing for the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia to facilitate the orderly transfer of security responsibilities to Somali forces.

To sustain coordination, the four countries agreed to establish a mechanism to follow up on the summit’s outcomes and convene further consultations periodically and as needed.