Djibouti(Mogadishu24)-Djiboutian Foreign Affairs, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and his French counterpart, Catherine Colonna had a telephone conversation about the situation in the Red Sea and Sudan following the tense between Ethiopia and Somalia over port-deal.

Ms. Colonna reiterated the importance of respecting the freedom of navigation, which is a fundamental principle of international law, and said that France would continue to take all appropriate measures to guarantee safety at sea, as it did through the deployment of the French Navy frigate Languedoc. In this regard, the French and Djiboutian ministers reaffirmed their desire to work together to keep the situation in the Red Sea from escalating.

The French Minister also expressed her support for the mediation efforts conducted by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), chaired by Djibouti, to bring about a ceasefire in Sudan and guarantee the flow of humanitarian aid and the resumption of the political transition process.

Djiboutian Foreign Minister said that the discussions between the two sides focussed on regional and global issues this week.

“I had such an interview with Ms. Colonna: discussions around the situation in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa. France chairs the UNSC in January: for Djibouti the ceasefire in Gaza is essential. Maritime security and peace in the Horn of Africa”, Youssouf said on X post.