Addis Ababa, – Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has vowed to free his landlocked nation from what he called a “geographic prison,” declaring that Ethiopia will secure access to the Red Sea — a pledge that risks heightening tensions with neighboring Eritrea and Somalia.
Speaking at the launch of his new book Medemer on Tuesday, Abiy dismissed the notion that Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous country, is condemned to remain without a coastline.
“If there is an Ethiopian who believes the country will always remain a geographic prisoner, that person is already dead,” Abiy said, adding that war was not the solution but that isolation was unacceptable.
Ethiopia lost its coastline in 1993 when Eritrea gained independence after a decades-long war, leaving Addis Ababa dependent on Djibouti for more than 90 percent of its imports. Abiy has repeatedly argued that lack of sea access is stifling Ethiopia’s economy and national security.
Earlier this month, he described regaining a port on the Red Sea as “only a matter of time” and called the 1993 loss of Eritrean ports, including Assab, a “historic mistake that must be corrected.”
Eritrea swiftly condemned Abiy’s remarks, calling them “reckless warmongering” and a distortion of history. Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel defended Eritrea’s independence referendum as an irrevocable expression of national sovereignty.
Analysts warn that the rhetoric could undermine the fragile 2018 peace deal that ended decades of hostilities between the two countries and earned Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize.
Relations with Somalia are also strained. In January 2024, Ethiopia signed a controversial memorandum of understanding with Somaliland — the breakaway northern region that Mogadishu insists is part of its territory — granting Addis Ababa access to a Red Sea port in exchange for recognition.
The move sparked outrage in Somalia and prompted mediation by Turkey, which produced the “Ankara Declaration” in December 2024. But tensions remain unresolved.
Senior Ethiopian officials have echoed Abiy’s message. State Minister of Finance Eyob Tekalign warned Ethiopia was ready to “firmly defend its national interests,” while military leaders called control of Assab port a matter of “historical right” and “national survival.”
Analysts say Abiy’s renewed push for sea access, combined with Ethiopia’s outreach to Somaliland, threatens to further destabilize the already fragile Horn of Africa — a region battered by conflicts, climate change, and economic hardship.
While Abiy insists diplomacy is the preferred path, his escalating rhetoric has alarmed neighbors and international partners, raising fears of a new flashpoint in a region where peace remains precarious.
