ADDIS ABABA — Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has issued a fresh warning regarding Ethiopia‘s lack of maritime access, telling regional leaders at the ongoing African Union Summit that the continent’s second-most populous nation cannot remain landlocked indefinitely.
In remarks that reinforce his government’s increasingly assertive foreign policy, Abiy stated that securing a direct gateway to the sea is a matter of existential importance for his nation of approximately 130 million people.
“Existential Importance”
“The security and stability of the Horn of Africa depend on Ethiopia gaining sea access,” Abiy declared to the assembly in Addis Ababa.
He argued that Ethiopia’s economic ambitions and its role as a regional powerhouse are stifled by its geographic isolation, suggesting that a “cooperative framework” for shared port access is the only way to ensure long-term peace in the volatile East African corridor.
Echoes of the Somaliland MoU
The Prime Minister’s comments come amid heightened regional tensions following the controversial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the breakaway region of Somaliland in early 2024.
That deal, which sought to grant Addis Ababa a naval base and commercial port access in exchange for potential diplomatic recognition, drew sharp condemnation from the Federal Government of Somalia, which views the move as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Critics and neighboring states have expressed concern that Ethiopia’s rhetoric signals a potential shift toward unilateral action.
The African Union and international mediators have repeatedly called for calm, urging all parties in the Horn of Africa to adhere to international law regarding territorial boundaries. While the Prime Minister did not specify which coastal territories Ethiopia is currently prioritizing for negotiations, his insistence on the link between maritime access and regional security suggests the issue will dominate the agenda of this year’s summit.
