Egypt has agreed to develop strategic seaports in Eritrea and Djibouti, a move widely seen as increasing pressure on landlocked Ethiopia amid the ongoing Nile water dispute, Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National reported, citing sources in Cairo.
Under discreet agreements signed without fanfare, Egypt will upgrade the Red Sea port of Assab in Eritrea and the Gulf of Aden port of Doraleh in Djibouti, expanding their capacity and creating berths for warships, as well as facilities to host small but elite military contingents. Both ports lie near the Bab Al-Mandeb strait, the southern gateway of the Red Sea, a crucial maritime route linking Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and East Africa.
Ethiopia, which borders both Eritrea and Djibouti, is heavily reliant on Doraleh for the transit of goods and has long opposed efforts by neighboring countries to establish a territorial or military presence on the Red Sea, its main maritime link.
According to the sources, the agreement with Eritrea was finalized during a late October visit to Cairo by President Isaias Afwerki, while the Djibouti deal was negotiated separately by senior Egyptian and Djiboutian officials.
