Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi officially opened the 8th African Union Mid-Year Coordination Meeting on Sunday, utilizing the Mediterranean city of New Alamein to emphasize the urgent need for continental unity on water security, sovereignty, and economic integration. The summit brought together the Bureau of the AU Assembly, leaders of Africa’s Regional Economic Communities (RECs), AU Chairperson Évariste Ndayishimiye, and AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf. The primary agenda focused on institutional reform, accelerating the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and tracking progress on the AU’s 2026 theme of sustainable water availability and safe sanitation. Highlighting New Alamein’s transformation from a heavily mined World War II battleground into a modern development hub, President Al-Sisi urged African leaders to move beyond fragmented strategies. “It is no longer sufficient to coordinate our positions; rather, our capabilities must integrate, and we must shape our future through our joint efforts,” Al-Sisi stated. Addressing the management of shared natural resources, the Egyptian president delivered a strong message rejecting unilateral actions that threaten regional stability. “Cooperation in the management of transboundary rivers must be based on relevant rules of international law, consultation, coordination, the principles of good neighborliness, and avoiding harm,” he emphasized. AU Chairperson and Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye echoed this diplomatic approach to natural resources, asserting that “shared water resources must be managed through wisdom, solidarity, and cooperation, in the interest of African peoples and sustainable development.” Ndayishimiye also stressed that trade agreements alone will not drive continental integration if they lack domestic industrial capacity. “Africa must produce in Africa, transform in Africa, and add value to its resources in Africa,” he declared, calling for massive investments in cross-border infrastructure to connect the continent. AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf reinforced the urgency of executing these strategies amid a volatile global geopolitical environment, demanding a clearer division of labor between continental and regional institutions. “Africa’s integration agenda must move decisively from aspiration to implementation,” Youssouf said. He noted that the AfCFTA cannot succeed merely by opening borders, adding that “Africa must have the capacity to produce, transform and add value to its own resources.” Youssouf also highlighted the foundational role of security in achieving Agenda 2063, calling for proactive conflict prevention. “Without peace, development and integration cannot be sustained,” he warned. The coordination meeting coincides with broader continental engagements in the city. The first Alamein-Africa Forum opened Friday in the northern Egyptian coastal city of New Alamein, bringing together around 1,500 African business leaders to discuss investment, trade and economic cooperation. Running from Oct. 2 to 4, the forum aims to promote greater economic integration and business cooperation across the continent. It is co-organized by the Egyptian government, the African Export-Import Bank, and the African Union Development Agency.
