Mogadishu , Oct. 4, 2026 — Somalia has joined Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea in calling for cooperation over the Nile and rejecting unilateral measures that could harm existing water uses downstream, a position that has drawn attention to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s earlier remarks at the inauguration of Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
A joint statement issued after the four leaders met in Egypt’s New Alamein city said countries should respect international law governing shared rivers, including the principle of avoiding harm. It called for prior notification, consultation and agreement, and rejected unilateral steps that could affect the existing water uses of Egypt and Sudan.
The statement did not name Ethiopia. However, its language reflects the long-running dispute between Addis Ababa and the two downstream countries over the dam and management of the Nile’s waters.
The leaders also emphasized freedom of navigation and said responsibility for governing the Red Sea rests with its coastal states. Egypt’s presidency said the summit stressed the safety of international shipping in the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The communiqué did not name Yemen’s Houthi movement, though the focus on maritime security may be read as an indirect reference to threats to shipping in the region.
The summit’s Nile position contrasts with the emphasis Hassan Sheikh placed on cooperation when he attended the GERD inauguration in Ethiopia in September 2025. Somalia’s state news agency reported that he praised cooperative use of shared water resources and said the dam could offer development opportunities for the region. His remarks, as reported, did not explicitly endorse unilateral action by Ethiopia.
The difference in tone has prompted questions about whether Mogadishu is balancing its relations with Ethiopia against closer coordination with Egypt and other states in the region. The summit statement itself does not spell out Somalia’s specific interpretation of the Nile provisions.
The four leaders also reaffirmed support for Somalia’s territorial unity and called for sustained international funding for the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, known as AUSSOM. They agreed to establish a mechanism to follow up on the summit’s decisions.
Somalia’s participation in the statement comes amid a wider regional debate over the rights and responsibilities of countries sharing the Nile. Ethiopia has argued that it has a sovereign right to develop its water resources, while Egypt and Sudan have pressed for arrangements they say would protect their existing water needs.