Eritrea, Egypt and Somalia cement ‘axis against Ethiopia’

The leaders of Egypt, Somalia and Eritrea – countries which all have strained relations with Ethiopia – have been meeting in the Eritrean capital, Asmara.

An Eritrean statement wrapping up the summit made reference to “respect for the sovereignty… and territorial integrity of the countries in the region”.

This could be taken as a pointed reference to landlocked Ethiopia’s ambitions for access to a sea port, but the country was not specifically mentioned.

A recent diplomatic disagreement has pushed Somalia into closer ties with Egypt and Eritrea, both of which have long-standing disputes with Ethiopia.

There have been fears that the growing tension could spill over into some sort of conflict.

“This is an axis against [Ethiopian capital] Addis Ababa,” Hassan Khannenje, director of the Horn International Institute for Strategic Studies, told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme.

Read more: BBC News