Ethiopia Rules Out Conflict With Eritrea Over Red Sea

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stated on Thursday that his government has no intention of engaging in conflict with Eritrea over access to the Red Sea. His remarks come amid growing concerns about a possible war between the two Horn of Africa neighbours.

“Ethiopia does not have any intention of engaging in conflict with Eritrea to gain access to the sea,” Abiy said in a statement posted by his office on X.

While acknowledging that Red Sea access is an existential matter for landlocked Ethiopia, Abiy emphasized that his government seeks a peaceful resolution through dialogue.

Tensions have risen in recent weeks following reports that Eritrea had ordered a nationwide military mobilization, according to a human rights group. Meanwhile, diplomatic sources and officials told Newsmen that Ethiopia has deployed troops toward the border, fueling fears of renewed clashes.

A fresh conflict between two of Africa’s largest armies would not only undo the historic rapprochement that earned Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 but also risk triggering a humanitarian crisis in a region already struggling with the effects of Sudan’s war.

Eritrea previously supported Ethiopian federal forces during the 2020–2022 conflict between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and Ethiopia’s central government—a war that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. However, relations soured again after Eritrea was excluded from peace talks that ended the conflict in November 2022.

Reuters/Patience Ameh