Regardless of the escalating regional battle at its doorstep in neighboring Gaza, Egypt’s future has grow to be inexorably tied to occasions far south of its borders.
With Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, or GERD, on the Blue Nile having grow to be a fait accompli, Egypt had already been feeling the necessity to step up its presence within the Horn of Africa. However the necessity to exert affect within the area turned extra pressing after Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault on Israel final 12 months and the following Israeli offensive in Gaza.
In a said bid to help Hamas, the Yemen-based Houthi militia has recurrently attacked industrial transport on the Pink Sea. This has lowered transit by way of the maritime lane resulting in the Suez Canal, reducing canal crossings by 66 p.c and dealing a extreme monetary blow to the Egyptian financial system.