Abdel Fattah el‑Sisi

Force in Play

As of October 2026: Said Egypt is creating 'space for diplomacy' while rejecting threats to its survival

Ethiopia expelled a senior Egyptian diplomat on October 1, and Cairo matched the move a day later. Ethiopia also closed its embassy in Eritrea, prompting Asmara to sever ties. Renewed fighting in Tigray has raised fears of a broader Horn of Africa conflict.

Updated Oct 12

Built World

As of May 2026: Leading Egypt's opposition to GERD, calling it an existential threat to Egyptian water security

Ethiopia flipped the switch on Africa's largest dam September 9, 2025, without Egypt's blessing. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam holds 74 billion cubic meters of water, enough to double Ethiopia's power output and, Egypt fears, cut freshwater supplies for 107 million Egyptians.

Updated May 19

Built World

As of May 2026: Egypt’s government messaging shifted on 2025-12-18 toward depoliticizing the Leviathan supply arrangement, with the State Information Service calling it a strictly commercial deal concluded by private companies.

A day after Israel approved the Leviathan-to-Egypt export permit, Egypt's State Information Service publicly stepped in to reframe the agreement as a strictly commercial arrangement concluded by private energy companies. The framing firewalls the gas lifeline from Gaza-war politics.

Updated May 15