Former US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Dismisses "Red Sea Littoral States Claim"

Addis Ababa, July 25, 2026 (ENA) —Former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, Tibor Nagy rebuffed Cairo and Asmara's repeated statements that only littoral states hold authority over Red Sea maritime security and governance.

Ambassador Nagy argued that if as Egypt and Eritrea say only littoral states have anything to say about Red Sea, then logically only nations which put water into the Nile can determine its use.

The US diplomat and Professor wrote: "So if as Egypt and Eritrea say only littoral states have anything to say about Red Sea, then logically only nations which put water into the Nile can determine its use".

The diplomat's remark addresses the stance of lower riparian downstream countries that seek to influence upstream water developments while simultaneously attempting to exclude non-coastal nations from Red Sea maritime security discussions.

The commentary comes amid ongoing discussions regarding sovereign access to sea outlets in the Horn of Africa and the equitable utilization of transboundary water resources in the Nile Basin.