Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty met Bankole Adeoye, African Union (AU) Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department, on the fringe of the 2026 AU summit as they tackled ways of consolidating peace and stability, as well as supporting post-conflict reconstruction and development efforts.
Abdelatty praised ongoing coordination with the AU’s Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department on different issues affecting stability across the continent.
He stressed the importance of maximizing Egypt’s current presidency of the AU Peace and Security Council to strengthen the foundations of peace and stability throughout Africa.
The top Egyptian diplomat commended the council’s confidence in assigning Egypt to present the report on the state of peace and security in Africa to the summit, as well as chairing two ministerial sessions for informal consultations with Sudan’s foreign minister and discussions on the situation in Sudan and Somalia.
He underlined the need for a comprehensive approach to address the continent’s security and development challenges in a way that promotes stability and sustainable growth.
The foreign minister outlined the main pillars of Egypt’s program during its presidency of the Peace and Security Council in February, lauding the outcome of the ministerial consultations on Sudan and Somalia held earlier in the day.
Abdelatty said Egypt looks forward to advancing the work of the AU Centre for Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development, describing it as a key pillar in consolidating peace and achieving sustainable development.
He praised the success of the fifth edition of the AU Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) Awareness Week, citing the council’s decision to extend the event to a month-long initiative.
On Sudan, Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s support for preserving the country’s unity, territorial integrity and national institutions, while rejecting any attempts to divide it or undermine its sovereignty.
He also stressed Egypt’s full solidarity with the Sudanese people and called for reaching a comprehensive ceasefire, launching an effective humanitarian track to ensure unimpeded aid delivery, and creating conditions for an inclusive, Sudanese-led political process.
He also highlighted the significance of supporting efforts of the Quad group comprising the US, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, in addition to enhancing coordination among regional and international initiatives.
Abdelatty further called for a reassessment of the African Union’s approach to Sudan, based on the principle of “African solutions to African problems”, as outlined in the roadmap for the Sudanese crisis.
He pointed to the appointment of a new prime minister and Khartoum’s readiness to cooperate with the AU, expressing Egypt’s hope that Sudan’s membership in the union would be reinstated.
Regarding Somalia, the foreign minister welcomed the AU Peace and Security Council’s ministerial session on the country and the statement issued under Egypt’s presidency.
He emphasized the need to implement relevant AU decisions on Somalia and to support international efforts enabling the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) to carry out its mandate effectively, including securing adequate and sustainable funding.
Abdelatty noted the imminent deployment of Egyptian forces to the mission, describing the Somali president’s participation in a ceremony marking the readiness of Egyptian troops as reflecting a high level of discipline and professionalism.
He said this shows Egypt’s firm commitment to backing Somalia’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to assisting its state institutions in combating terrorism and strengthening security and stability.
The foreign minister reiterated Egypt’s opposition to the establishment of parallel entities outside internationally-recognized legal frameworks and its rejection of any unilateral recognitions that undermine Somalia’s territorial unity, warning that such moves violate international law and threaten stability in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region.
For his part, Adeoye expressed appreciation for Egypt’s active role in Africa and commended its current presidency of the AU Peace and Security Council. He highlighted the importance of continued close coordination with Cairo to support peace, security and post-conflict reconstruction efforts, in a way that strengthens AU institutions and responds to the aspirations of African peoples.
