Egypt

Somalia, Egypt deepen ties in Cairo talks, eye embassy move to Mogadishu and stronger security coordination CAIRO — Somalia and Egypt pledged to advance a broader strategic partnership after their foreign ministers met Saturday on the sidelines of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum, focusing on economic cooperation, security coordination and regional stability. Somali Foreign Affairs Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali and Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdel Atty discussed plans to…

CAIRO — Egypt will step up efforts to safeguard Red Sea maritime routes and back a new African Union mission in Somalia, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Friday, framing the Horn of Africa’s stability as inseparable from regional and global security. Addressing African ministers and delegates gathered in Cairo for the second ministerial forum of the Russia–Africa Partnership, al-Sisi called the Red Sea corridor “strategically vital” and said Egypt is working with partners to keep the waterway secure. The shipping lane…

Egypt’s football authorities have asked FIFA to block any LGBTQ+ Pride messaging or activities during the national team’s World Cup match against Iran in Seattle on June 26, arguing that such displays would clash with the cultural and religious values of the participating nations. In a letter addressed to FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) said it “categorically rejects any activities promoting LGBTQ during the match,” which local organizers have designated as a “Pride Match” to…

DOHA, Qatar — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud used the Doha Forum to argue Somalia is moving from crisis response to an assertive phase of state-building, urging partners to align aid and security programs with the country’s plans as Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye signaled fresh commitments. Chairing a roundtable titled “State-Building in Somalia: Coordinated Strategies to Sustain Progress,” Mohamud said Somali institutions are increasingly capable of setting and executing priorities — from national security and…

A new citadel of memory rises beside the Great Pyramid Just a short walk from the ancient silhouette of Khufu, a modern glass-and-stone landmark opened its doors to the public this week: the Grand Egyptian Museum, known simply as GEM. With room for some 100,000 objects spanning roughly 7,000 years of history, the complex is being presented not only as the world’s largest archaeological museum but as a statement of national pride and a fresh engine for tourism. The building’s broad terraces and sunlit atrium create a…

New Afreximbank chief vows to turn raw exports into homegrown industry — but the path is steep In a stately ceremony in Cairo on Oct. 25, Dr. George Elombi took the oath as president and chairman of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), laying out a mission that is at once technical and deeply political: to break a continent’s dependence on exporting raw materials and instead build the factories, ports and skills that keep wealth in Africa. "To change the structure, we must process. We must produce. Unless we…

Djibouti Clears Way for President Guelleh to Run Again — What It Means for a Tiny but Pivotal State Djibouti’s parliament has removed a constitutional age limit that would have barred the 77‑year‑old president, Ismail Omar Guelleh, from seeking another term, clearing the path for him to run in the April 2026 election. The decision, short and decisive in the capital, underscores a growing pattern across parts of Africa in which long‑serving leaders reshape rules to extend their time in office — with consequences that ripple…

Egypt’s warning over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam rekindles a 21st-century struggle over an ancient river CAIRO — When Egypt’s Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly declared that the Nile is “a matter of existence, not subject to compromise,” he was not indulging in rhetoric. He was speaking for a country whose modern life, agriculture and industry grew up along the river’s narrow ribbon through desert. Yet that river feeds more than one national story. The spokesman’s rebuke this month, aimed squarely at Ethiopia’s…

Somalia hails Sharm el-Sheikh ceasefire framework, calls it a ‘genuine step’ toward peace Somalia has welcomed a ceasefire framework announced in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, saying the effort to halt the war between Israel and Hamas could open a narrow but crucial window for humanitarian relief and political talks long seen as out of reach. In a statement late Thursday, Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs voiced support for the regional and international mediation that produced the agreement, which aims to secure a…

Indirect talks open in Sharm El-Sheikh under Trump plan as Gaza war grinds on Delegations representing Hamas and Israel have begun indirect negotiations in Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm El‑Sheikh aimed at ending nearly two years of war in Gaza, diplomats and officials said Monday, in a U.S.‑backed effort that has raised hopes and doubts in equal measure. Under the outline promoted by former U.S. President Donald Trump — who has waded into the role of broker with envoys including businessman Steve Witkoff and his…