– Egyptian foreign minister conveys President Sisi’s message to Eritrean president during Asmara visit

ASMARA— Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki on Friday to discuss bilateral relations, the crises in Sudan and Libya, and developments in the Red Sea region, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

The visit follows President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s October trip to Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, and aims to advance the trilateral coordination mechanism between Egypt, Eritrea, and Somalia, which held its first ministerial meeting in Cairo in January.

Preparations for the second meeting are underway, Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tamim Khallaf said in a statement.

During his visit, Abdelatty delivered a message from Sisi to Afwerki, emphasizing “the enhancement and development of bilateral relations across various fields, as well as addressing several regional issues of mutual interest.”

Discussions covered “regional issues of common concern, particularly developments in Africa and efforts to support peace and security in the Horn of Africa, specifically assisting Somalia in combating terrorism and asserting its sovereignty over its entire territory,” the statement said.

It added that the two sides also addressed “the situation in Sudan and the importance of providing all forms of support to the Sudanese state and its national institutions while maintaining its unity and territorial integrity.”

Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), resulting in more than 20,000 deaths and the displacement of around 15 million people, according to the UN and local authorities. A study by US universities estimated the death toll at approximately 130,000.

The meeting further discussed “the situation in Libya and the Sahel region, as well as developments in the Red Sea,” the statement said.

The UN is currently leading efforts to facilitate elections in Libya to resolve the ongoing political crisis, which has led to a power struggle between two rival governments.

For his part, the Eritrean president conveyed his greetings and appreciation to President Sisi, expressing his desire to strengthen bilateral relations in various fields.

On Jan. 11, Abdelatty held the first trilateral meeting in Cairo with his Somali counterpart Ahmed Moalim Fiqi and Eritrean counterpart Osman Saleh Mohammed to follow up on the outcomes of the Asmara trilateral summit held on Oct. 10, 2024.