During the African Union summit in Addis Ababa on February 16, 2026, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held a high-level meeting with Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, chairperson of the African Union Commission. Abdelatty emphasized that the governance and security of the Red Sea must remain the sole responsibility of the littoral states. He explicitly rejected attempts by non-regional powers to impose themselves as partners in the management of the strategic maritime corridor. This statement comes as Egypt works to activate the Council of Arab and African States Bordering the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to strengthen regional stability. Additionally, Egypt proposed a new maritime line connecting its Red Sea ports with Kenya to bolster trade and economic cooperation across the Horn of Africa, signaling a push for localized security frameworks that exclude non-littoral actors.