El Alamein:Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi reaffirmed his country's stance against foreign interference in African affairs during the African Union's eighth midyear coordination meeting in El Alamein. He emphasized the need for mutual respect and cooperation among African nations in managing cross-border rivers.

According to Anadolu Agency, Sisi stressed the importance of respecting sovereignty, national unity, and territorial integrity to ensure the continent's stability. He highlighted the potential for cooperation and dialogue over competition and confrontation in managing shared natural resources, particularly water.

Sisi reiterated Egypt's longstanding opposition to external interference in African states' internal matters and advocated for responsible development that acknowledges the needs of other countries. He emphasized that cooperation over shared rivers should align with international law and principles of good neighborliness.

The Nile Basin, involving 11 countries including Egypt and Sudan, has been a point of contention, particularly over Ethiopia's Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Egypt and Sudan have called for a legally binding agreement on the dam's operation, fearing its impact on their water supplies. Diplomatic tensions have recently escalated between Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Egypt, with expulsions of diplomats and severed relations.

On economic matters, Sisi urged the full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, which aims to bolster intra-African trade and industrialization. He called for Africa to develop integrated value chains and enhance its production capacity to move beyond being merely a supplier of raw materials.