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Abiy Ahmed puts port access back on the agenda

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said his government will work to secure access to the Red Sea during his new five-year term, which began with an oath in parliament. Abiy said landlocked Ethiopia needs an outlet to the sea, linking the goal to the country’s historical and strategic interests.

His remarks came as fighting in the northern Tigray region flared up again. Ethiopian forces were reported to be trying to push back opposition groups said to be backed by Eritrea. Eritrea’s independence in 1993 cut Addis Ababa off from direct access to the sea.

Fighting in Tigray raises the risk of regional tensions

Abiy’s new term comes amid strained ties with neighboring countries and a renewed risk of civil war. Addis Ababa says outside support is being provided to opposition forces in the north.

Gunfire returns after peace deal

Low-intensity clashes between the federal army and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) reportedly resumed in August. The development is being seen as a violation of the peace arrangement reached after two years of devastating war and covering a three-year period.

  • Ethiopia accused Eritrea, Egypt and Sudan of supporting opposition elements in the north.
  • TPLF was part of an alliance formed by seven armed movements, which said its aim was to topple Abiy’s government.

Neighbors send mixed signals

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud told Al Jazeera that Somalia is not in principle opposed to Ethiopia gaining access to the Red Sea through Somali territory, but said the matter should be handled through official negotiations.

By contrast, Egypt, Eritrea, Sudan and Somalia — four of the five countries with Red Sea coastlines — met on Sunday in the Egyptian city of New Alamein. At the meeting, participants said control of the coastline belongs to the coastal states.

A day after that meeting, Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry said discussions about the Red Sea must take into account the country’s legitimate interests and its longstanding ties to the basin. Addis Ababa has thus entered a new phase under pressure on both the domestic conflict and the diplomatic front.

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