Egypt and Eritrea are exploring a possible military co-operation deal and intelligence sharing as they seek to cement already close ties, according to sources.
The sources told The National that such an accord would also include outlining bilateral steps to protect Red Sea shipping, which has been severely disrupted by attacks from Iran-backed rebels in Yemen carried out in solidarity with the Palestinians during Israel's 11-month war in Gaza.
Egypt is also discussing with Eritrea possible mediation by Cairo to end decades-old animosity between Asmara and the ethnic rebels of Tigray in neighbouring Ethiopia, where the Tigray People's Liberation Front poses the most potent threat to the rule of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Mr Abiy has been an anathema in Egypt because of what Cairo views as his intransigence in more than a decade of fruitless negotiations to resolve the two nations' dispute over a giant Nile dam that Ethiopia is building, which is seen by Cairo as an existential threat to its life-and-death share of the river's water. Addis Ababa has in turn accused Egypt of supporting anti-government groups to destabilise Ethiopia.
The discussions between Egypt and Eritrea come amid a surprise visit to Asmara last weekend by Egyptian intelligence chief Gen Kamal Abbas, a confidant of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, and Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. The pair met Eritrea's longtime leader Isaias Afwerki.
The Foreign Ministry on Saturday said the pair handed the Eritrean leader a message from Mr El Sisi on “bolstering and developing bilateral relations in all fields”.
“They also listened to President Afwerki's views on developments in the Red Sea regarding the importance of finding the right circumstances to restore normal maritime shipping and international trade through the Bab Al Mandeb,” it said, referring to the narrow strait that links the Red and Arabian seas.
The Egyptians also heard the Eritrean leader's views on developments in the Horn of Africa, the challenges faced in that region and methods for reinforcing security and stability there, it said.
Egypt and Eritrea together account for thousands of kilometres of Red Sea coastline, including the Egyptian shores of the gulfs of Suez and Aqaba, as well as 355 islands under Eritrean sovereignty. While Egypt controls the northern reaches of the Red Sea, including the Suez Canal that links to the Mediterranean, Eritrea is located close to the strategic Bab Al Mandeb strait.
The two have forged close ties in the 10 years since Mr El Sisi rose to power in the most populous Arab nation, with Mr Afwerki meeting the Egyptian President several times in recent years. They last met in Cairo in February, only three months after their previous meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“The primary aim of Egypt in the region is to curb Ethiopian influence in the Horn of Africa and put pressure on Abiy Ahmed’s government,” said one of the sources. “To boost co-operation with Eritrea is a huge step in that direction.”
A military co-operation agreement with Eritrea would be the latest deal of its kind to be struck between Cairo and countries in the Horn of Africa, East Africa or the Nile basin. These include Djibouti, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan and Somalia.
Analysts have long suspected those deals are primarily designed to put pressure on Addis Ababa to show flexibility in its dispute with Egypt over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
The latest military co-operation agreement between Egypt and its southern neighbours was signed last month with Somalia, which has traditionally been at odds with Ethiopia. Under the provisions of that deal, Egypt late last month airlifted arms, military hardware and troops to Somalia, deeply angering Ethiopia, which has warned that the move would undermine stability in the Horn of Africa and vowed not to stand idly by.
Eritrea, on the other hand, gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a decades-long civil war. The pair fought a ruinous war over a border dispute between 1998 and 2000; and although they have since made peace and fought together against Ethiopia's Tigrayan rebels in 2020-2022, they remain rivals.
Somalia's quarrel with Addis Ababa now is over a preliminary deal its landlocked neighbour signed this year with the breakaway territory of Somaliland to lease coastal land in exchange for possible recognition of its independence from Somalia.
Somalia called the deal an assault on its sovereignty and said it would block it by all means necessary.
“Somalia and Ethiopia share a long-enduring animosity,” Somalia's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ali Mohammed Omar told Qatar's Al Jazeera TV network in an interview aired last week.
Asked how Somalia would respond if Ethiopia and Somaliland went ahead and implemented their agreement, he said: “That will be a declaration of war.”
Somalia has already threatened to send home an estimated 10,000 Ethiopian troops in Somalia as part of an African Union-mandated peacekeeping force if the deal is not cancelled.
For its part, Egypt said it planned to apply to the AU to be part of a new peacekeeping force in Somalia which, as the host nation, Somalia must approve.
If this comes to fruition, it could increase tensions. Already, the 17-month-old war in Sudan has driven more than two million people over the borders of that vast Afro-Arab nation. And in Ethiopia, ethnic divides appear to be ominously worsening and Somalia is faced with a constant threat from militant group Al Shabab.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Four tips to secure IoT networks
Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:
- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version
- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number
- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently
- Always create a different guest network for visitors
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
More on animal trafficking
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Cofe
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 80-100
Amount raised: $13m
Investors: KISP ventures, Cedar Mundi, Towell Holding International, Takamul Capital, Dividend Gate Capital, Nizar AlNusif Sons Holding, Arab Investment Company and Al Imtiaz Investment Group
