The newspaper « The National » writes this, underlining that at the same time Cairo is also discussing with Asmara a possible Egyptian mediation in the ten-year conflict between the Eritrean government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.
The governments of Egypt and Eritrea are considering a military and intelligence cooperation agreement that would also include bilateral measures to protect shipping on the Red Sea, The National newspaper reported, noting that Cairo is also discussing with Asmara a possible Egyptian mediation in the decade-long conflict between the Eritrean government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the protagonist of the war that ended two years ago that pitted them against the Ethiopian army. The talks between Egypt and Eritrea follow a surprise visit to Asmara last weekend by Egyptian intelligence chief Kamal Abbas, who is very close to President Abdel Fattah al Sisi, accompanied by Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. The two delegates met with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, and according to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, they delivered a direct message from Al Sisi aimed at « strengthening and developing bilateral relations in all fields ».
The senior Egyptian officials, the statement continued, “also listened to President Afwerki’s views on the developments in the Red Sea regarding the importance of finding the right circumstances to restore normal maritime navigation and international trade through the Strait of Bab el Mandeb,” which connects the Red Sea to the Arabian Sea. Together, the territories of Egypt and Eritrea cover about 5 kilometers of the Red Sea coastline, including the Egyptian coasts of the Gulfs of Suez and Aqaba, as well as 355 islands under Eritrean sovereignty. Egypt controls the northern areas of the Red Sea, including the Suez Canal that connects it to the Mediterranean, while Eritrea is located near the strategic Strait of Bab el Mandeb. The last meeting between al-Sisi and Afwerki dates back to last February, when they met in Cairo; three months earlier they had met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.