The African Union Responds After Egyptian Criticism of Its Statement on the Crisis with Ethiopia

- The African Union Commission issued a new statement on Sunday, following Egyptian criticisms of a statement issued by the bloc regarding the diplomatic crisis between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Eritrea. The commission stated that it "took note of the remarks expressed by the Arab Republic of Egypt regarding the statement issued by the commission on October 1, 2026, concerning regional tensions."

The official Middle East News Agency reported on Saturday that a knowledgeable Egyptian source said the commission's statement represents an "unfathomable attempt to involve Egypt in an internal Ethiopian issue," emphasizing that one should not be swayed by attempts to divert attention from the true internal motives behind what is happening there. In the Sunday statement, the commission confirmed that "the intent of the aforementioned statement was, in no way, to assign responsibility for what is happening to any of the neighboring countries, but was merely a call to de-escalate tensions following the expulsion of diplomats from the three capitals."

The commission's statement indicated that its call for restraint among the three countries came "in line with the institutional responsibility entrusted to the commission," while affirming that it "places... special importance on its close relationship with the Arab Republic of Egypt and values its positions, as it is a founding member of the African Union and a key partner in promoting peace, security, integration, and development on the continent."

The statement coincided with Egypt hosting a consultative quadripartite summit in Alamein on Sunday, which included the presidents of Egypt, Eritrea, Sudan, and Somalia, to discuss developments in the Horn of Africa, Nile waters, and security tensions in the Red Sea. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi also received the President of Burundi and the current chair of the African Union, Evariste Ndayishimiye, in Alamein.

Ethiopian officials have recently accused Egypt, Eritrea, and Sudan of supporting armed opposition factions seeking to overthrow the government of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, which the three countries denied. Addis Ababa declared last Thursday a "Egyptian diplomat as persona non grata," giving him 48 hours to leave the country, to which Cairo responded with a similar move.

The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced its intention to close its embassy in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, in response to what it described as "acts of hostility and direct and indirect escalation being carried out by Eritrea against Ethiopia," according to the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA). The statements came following a statement issued by the African Union Commission regarding what it described as escalating tensions between Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Egypt.

The African Union Commission, in its statement, called on the three countries to exercise the utmost restraint and to refrain from any actions or statements that could escalate tensions and threaten regional peace and stability, while keeping communication channels open and resolving disputes through diplomatic channels and peaceful dialogue.