Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso are all currently governed by military leaders who seized power in recent coups and subsequently formed the Alliance of Sahel States

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Egypt's House of Representatives voted by a two-thirds majority to authorize President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to send military support to Saudi Arabia

The Egyptian parliamentary vote authorizing military support for Saudi Arabia followed a request by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and a decision by Egypt's National Defense Council on October 18, 2026

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Egyptian military officials ruled out deploying Egyptian forces to conduct offensive strikes inside Yemen

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey signed the Mecca mutual defense pact in August 2026 to establish regional security cooperation

Egypt remained outside the Mecca mutual defense pact between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey as of October 26, 2026, though Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty noted joining was under serious consideration

The United States provided Saudi Arabia with military support including intelligence sharing, targeting assistance, and aerial refueling for Saudi warplanes conducting defensive patrols

Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr, head of Yemen's Shura Council, sent a letter to Egypt's Senate speaker backing Egyptian military support on behalf of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council

Egyptian Senate Speaker Essam Farid affirmed that Egypt's military support for Saudi Arabia is strictly defensive, acting as a protective shield rather than an attacking sword

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi stated that Egyptian military support would strictly defend Saudi Arabian territory, sovereignty, and Islamic holy sites against external attacks

Ministers from the Mecca mutual defense pact between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey agreed during an emergency October 2026 meeting in Riyadh to ensure rapid deployment of forces and military capabilities to Saudi Arabia

The Egyptian Social Democratic Party abstained from the parliamentary vote authorizing military support for Saudi Arabia, citing missing information regarding the mission's objectives, duration, financial costs, and risks to Egyptian soldiers

Article 152 of Egypt's Constitution mandates that sending Egyptian armed forces on combat missions outside the country requires approval by a two-thirds majority of parliament

Egyptian lawmaker Medhat Rekaby al-Mansourawy stated that parliamentary discussions on Egypt's military deployment to support Saudi Arabia were surface-level without operational details

Ethiopia's federal government established a six-month caretaker administration in Tigray following the capture of Mekelle in October 2026.

Redae Halefom Woldeselassie, a senior official in Tigray's new federally backed administration, urged rebel fighters on October 23, 2026 to lay down weapons and enter a disarmament and reintegration program.

Ethiopian forces recaptured an airport and several towns from the Tigray People's Liberation Front in October 2026 while advancing toward the border with Eritrea.

Lieutenant General Fisseha Kidanu, commander of the Tigray army, pledged on October 22, 2026 on Tigray Broadcast Media to reverse military setbacks and called on local militias to engage government forces.

The Ethiopian government's allies in the region include the Tigray Peace Force, composed of former members of the armed wing of the Tigray People's Liberation Front.

Tigray People's Liberation Front fighters withdrew from Mekelle in early October 2026, allowing Ethiopian government-allied forces to enter the Tigray regional capital on October 4, 2026.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stated on October 19, 2026 that the Tigray People's Liberation Front was acquiring weapons and forcibly recruiting young people instead of disarming under the November 2022 Pretoria peace agreement.