14/02/2026
AU summit clouded by Saudi-UAE rivalry in Horn of Africa
A feud between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates across the Horn of Africa is overshadowing this weekend?s AU summit, though most of the continent?s leaders will try to avoid taking sides, nine diplomats and experts said. What began as a rivalry in Yemen has spread across the Red Sea into a region riven with conflicts ? from war in Somalia and Sudan to rivalry between Ethiopia and Eritrea and a divided Libya. In recent years, the UAE has become an influential player in the Horn ? encompassing primarily Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti ? through multibillion-dollar investments, robust diplomacy and discreet military support. Saudi Arabia has been more low-profile but...
