President Sisi, Eritrean counterpart stress need to respect Somalia sovereignty

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and his Eritrean counterpart Isaias Afwerki discussed on Saturday the latest developments in the Horn of Africa, where they stressed the need to respect the sovereignty of Somalia.

Tensions in the Horn of Africa have escalated after Somaliland agreed in January to lease 20 kilometres of its coast for 50 years to Addis Ababa, which wants to set up a naval base and a commercial port in that area, giving the landlocked Ethiopia long-desired access to the Red Sea.

Following this deal, Egypt reasserted that it would stand by Somalia and support its security and stability, emphasizing the need to respect its sovereignty over its lands.