Egypt's Sisi urges 'dialogue, not confrontation' as African leaders meet

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi speaks at the opening of the Alamein Africa Forum, attended by numerous African leaders, in Egypt, Oct. 3, 2026. (AA Photo)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday urged African leaders meeting in El-Alamein to address cross-border challenges through cooperation and dialogue, as concerns grow that escalating violence could spill across borders and Egypt seeks wider African support in its dispute with Ethiopia over the Nile.

Speaking at the African Union’s mid-year coordination summit in the Mediterranean city, Sisi said cross-border challenges require countries to work together rather than compete.

They “require cooperation, not competition, and dialogue, not confrontation, including the management and use of natural resources and transboundary rivers in accordance with international law,” Sisi said.

The remarks came ahead of talks in Egypt involving Ethiopia’s neighbors.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and several African leaders attend the opening of the Alamein Africa Forum in Egypt, Oct. 3, 2026. (Photo by Egyptian Presidency / Handout / AA)

African leaders focus on financing growth

The summit follows a business gathering Saturday where African leaders called for greater use of the continent’s own capital to finance development and reduce dependence on external funding.

Leaders said Africa can “do much better” in financing its growth.

The three-day gathering in El-Alamein brought together more than 20 heads of state and government representatives, along with business leaders, bankers and development institutions.

Under an African Union mandate, the forum will become a biennial event focusing on infrastructure, trade, agriculture, healthcare, mining, technology and renewable energy.