Ethiopian state media attacks Somali president over regional diplomacy

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopia’s state-run news agency has criticised Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud over his recent regional diplomacy, arguing that Somalia’s growing alignment with Egypt, Eritrea and Sudan could conflict with Ethiopia’s strategic interests.

In an article published by the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA), the agency focused on Hassan Sheikh’s attendance at a four-country summit held in Egypt’s New Alamein on October 4. The meeting brought together the leaders of Egypt, Somalia, Eritrea and Sudan to discuss security, sovereignty, economic cooperation and other regional issues.

The summit ended with a joint declaration covering several sensitive issues in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea. Among its provisions was a call for coastal states to retain responsibility for matters concerning the Red Sea, a position that could complicate Ethiopia’s longstanding efforts to secure reliable access to maritime trade.

The declaration also addressed the management of transboundary rivers, including the Nile. It stressed adherence to international law and the principle of avoiding harm to other states, while calling for prior notification, consultation and agreement over measures that could affect downstream countries.

ENA portrayed the provisions as potentially detrimental to Ethiopia’s interests, particularly its plans for economic development, its position on Nile water resources and its efforts to obtain access to the Red Sea.

The agency also questioned Hassan Sheikh’s support for the summit declaration, presenting it as a shift in Somalia’s relationship with Ethiopia. ENA recalled Ethiopia’s involvement in Somali affairs over several decades, including its participation in reconciliation initiatives and conferences aimed at rebuilding Somalia’s political institutions.

The article cited Ethiopia’s involvement in the Sodere and Mbagathi peace processes and highlighted the role played by Ethiopian forces in Somalia’s security operations. It also referred to Ethiopia’s participation in successive African Union missions, including AMISOM, ATMIS and the current AUSSOM mission.

The Nile issue is particularly sensitive for Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan. Addis Ababa is building the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile and has defended the project as essential to its economic development and electricity generation. Egypt and Sudan, meanwhile, have repeatedly called for arrangements they say would protect their downstream water interests.

The New Alamein summit’s position on transboundary rivers therefore adds another layer to already strained regional relations, particularly as Ethiopia continues to seek greater access to the Red Sea.

Somalia’s participation in the summit also comes amid a period of changing relations between Mogadishu and Addis Ababa. The two countries have previously cooperated closely on security, while disagreements over sovereignty, maritime access and regional alliances have periodically strained ties.

Hassan Sheikh has said Somalia is open to Ethiopia obtaining maritime access through Somali territory, but has stressed that any such arrangement must be negotiated between the two governments and respect Somalia’s sovereignty.

The Ethiopian agency’s criticism comes as tensions remain high across the Horn of Africa, where disputes involving Red Sea access, Nile waters, border security and competing regional alliances increasingly overlap.