Abiy Ahmed: Access to the Red Sea is a 'Existential Right' and Ethiopia Seeks International Mediation to Avoid Escalation with Eritrea

In controversial statements, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed confirmed on Tuesday that his country will not remain a landlocked state, emphasizing that obtaining a seaport is an 'existential issue' that cannot be reversed. He added that Ethiopia does not seek war, but it is 'capable of decisive action' if conflict is imposed upon it, warning Eritrea against being drawn into military confrontation amid rising tensions between the two countries.

Abiy Ahmed expressed readiness to go to Asmara to open a new chapter in bilateral relations, but stressed that his country's right to access ports is 'non-negotiable'. In an attempt to avoid escalation, he announced that he has requested mediation from the United States, the European Union, Russia, China, and the African Union to find a peaceful solution that guarantees Ethiopia access to the Red Sea.

Tensions between Addis Ababa and Asmara have escalated since the end of the Tigray War in 2022, where Ethiopia accused its neighbor of funding armed groups in the Amhara region and attempting to destabilize the area, accusations that Eritrea denied and described as 'a farce'.

Ethiopia, with a population of about 130 million, lost its seaport after Eritrea's independence in 1993, and considers the Eritrean port of Assab a strategic target. Relations between the two countries saw a temporary improvement in 2018 after signing a peace agreement, but returned to tension after the war in Tigray, which left more than 600,000 dead.