African leaders have called for greater self-reliance, stronger regional cooperation and joint action to address the continent’s shared challenges and accelerate sustainable development.

The call came during a series of high-level African gatherings held in Egypt’s New Alamein from October 2 to 4, including the Alamein Africa Forum, a summit of the founding states of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), and the 8th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Communities (RECs).

Opening the AU’s eighth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said Africa must move beyond coordinating positions and work toward integrating its capabilities to collectively shape the continent’s future.

El-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s opposition to external interference in African affairs and stressed the importance of respecting national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.

He also called for greater cooperation in addressing transnational challenges, including the management of natural resources and transboundary rivers, in accordance with international law, consultation, coordination, good-neighborliness and the principle of avoiding harm.

The Egyptian president also took part in the Alamein Consultative Summit with the leaders of Egypt, Eritrea, Sudan and Somalia, amid heightened diplomatic tensions in the region.

The African Union has urged Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to exercise maximum restraint following a series of diplomatic disputes, including the closure of Ethiopia’s embassy in Eritrea and the expulsion of diplomats by Ethiopia and Egypt.

At the AUDA-NEPAD founding states summit, African leaders emphasized the need for the continent to rely more heavily on its own resources and capabilities to achieve the objectives of Agenda 2063, the AU’s long-term development blueprint.

Leaders and representatives from the African Union Commission and AUDA-NEPAD’s five founding states Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa attended the summit, alongside Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye, the current AU chairperson.

El-Sisi said Africa must develop and adopt its own financing mechanisms, while the Alamein Declaration highlighted the African private sector as a key driver of the continent’s development, particularly in implementing the second 10-year plan of Agenda 2063.

Ndayishimiye called for stronger AUDA-NEPAD capacity to expand infrastructure projects and improve coordination between African institutions.

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye highlighted persistent challenges facing Africa, including poverty, food insecurity, youth unemployment and gaps in healthcare.

Angolan President João Lourenço said AUDA-NEPAD was established to enable Africa to take greater responsibility for defining its own development priorities and agenda.

Founded in 2018, AUDA-NEPAD coordinates regional and continental development initiatives aimed at advancing Agenda 2063 and strengthening the capacity of African Union member states and regional institutions.