Egypt Amplifies African Diplomatic Initiatives Amid Red Sea Economic Turmoil
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Cairo, Jan 13 (NationPress) Egypt is intensifying its diplomatic efforts with African nations as it aims to reinforce security in the strategically important Horn of Africa and Red Sea regions, where ongoing conflicts have drastically reduced its vital Suez Canal revenues.
This diplomatic initiative emerges as Egypt confronts a 60 percent decline in canal revenue over the last 11 months -- an astonishing $7 billion loss, according to President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi -- caused by shipping interruptions from assaults by Yemen's Houthi group on vessels in the Red Sea.
On Saturday, Cairo hosted the inaugural meeting of a new trilateral committee with Somalia and Eritrea, following an October summit among the leaders of the three countries in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
Later that day, Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty had a conversation with his Djibouti counterpart regarding safeguarding their mutual interests in Red Sea maritime security.
"The escalating threats to regional security are a driving force behind the heightened Egyptian focus on all African matters," stated Amani el-Taweel, an expert in African affairs at Cairo's Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies.
She emphasized that events in East Africa have implications for both Egypt's water security and its economic interests in Red Sea shipping lanes.
The diplomatic initiative is not limited to the Horn of Africa. In recent weeks, Egyptian officials have interacted with leaders from Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, the Republic of the Congo, Kenya, and Chad, where Abdelatty visited in December to discuss counterterrorism collaboration and trade relations.
This surge in diplomatic activity highlights Egypt's renewed commitment to forming African alliances at a time when regional instability poses threats to both its security and economic interests. The Suez Canal, which connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, has historically been a crucial source of foreign currency for Egypt's struggling economy.
During Saturday's phone call, Abdelatty and Djibouti's foreign minister, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, stressed the necessity for Red Sea nations to coordinate their responses to regional threats, according to Egypt's Foreign Ministry. They also discussed support for Somalia's stability -- a significant concern in a region plagued by political unrest and militant activity that has long jeopardized maritime security.
"Egypt is primarily affected by the developments in East Africa," El-Taweel remarked. "The intensified Egyptian approach with African nations is both logical and essential."
