Source: Addis Standard
Addis Abeba – In a briefing delivered today to parliamentarians, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed repeated Ethiopia’s pursuit of access to the sea “peacefully” while underscoring the country’s sovereign right to the access.
“Ethiopia does not have existence without its neighbors, and its neighbors do not have existence without Ethiopia,” PM Abiy said, stressing the importance of “mutual benefit” to resolve longstanding issues.
“Our desire is to sow good seeds. We want access to sea based on the principle of mutual benefit, not by force. We want to achieve everything peacefully. We respect their sovereignty,” he said, adding that “Ethiopia is a sovereign country, and for this to be complete, our neighbors must respond positively for Ethiopia to get access to a sea.”
PM Abiy first broke the topic access to the Red Sea in a televised speech addressed to Ethiopian law makers, in which he framed the issue as an “existential” matter for Ethiopia that Ethiopians should start discussing in open.
Addressing increasing concerns over potential conflict, especially with Eritrea, the Prime Minister dismissed these concerns saying: “to those who raise the specter of war with Eritrea, it should be known that we do not desire any conflict on our part; they should also do the same.”
Neverthelss, he highlighted Ethiopia’s “capacity to defend itself” while insisting the focus remains on peace and shared growth. “In the past seven years, we have not had a single conflict with neighboring countries.”
The Prime Minister’s remarks come amid heightened tensions with Eritrea, which recently accused Ethiopia of provocative acts and military posturing aimed at gaining port access.
Eritrea’s Ministry of Information recently dismissed a diplomatic letter allegedly by the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a “transparent ploy” to justify a “long-brewing war agenda,” while also recalling past Ethiopian “occupation” of Eritrean territories.
The alleged letter accuses Eritrea of adopting “an increasingly hostile posture,” including “territorial occupation,” “violence against civilians,” and “support to various armed groups.” The text calls on the international community to urge Eritrea to “cease and desist its use of proxies in its belligerence against Ethiopia,” while asserting that Ethiopia “continues to stand firm” in its pursuit of “dialogue and peaceful engagement.”
In response, Eritrea accused the Prosperity Party of “recklessly indulging, for the last two years, in uncalled-for pronouncements” and “provocative saber-rattling,” which it said was part of efforts to acquire Eritrean ports – “legally if possible and militarily if necessary.”
Addis Standard could not independently verify the authenticity of the letter by MoFA which triggered the official response from Eritrea.
Despite this rhetoric, PM Abiy said today that Ethiopia’s aspirations were anchored in peaceful co-existence and cooperation with its neighbors. “Our desire is cooperation and shared growth. To ensure our journey of recovery is not disrupted, we want to live in peace with all our neighbors. However, if there is anything that threatens our peace, Ethiopia has sufficient capacity to defend itself… Ethiopia is a country with a large economy, a significant population, and a modern army.”
