Ethiopia again demands access to the Red Sea as tensions with neighbors escalate
Abiy Ahmed says Ethiopia will seek an outlet to the sea as diplomats warn the dispute could deepen regional instability.
- On October 1, Ethiopia closed its embassy in Asmara and expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats, prompting Eritrea to sever all diplomatic ties; the African Union Commission urged all three parties to exercise "maximum restraint" amid escalating tensions.
- Ethiopia's pursuit of sovereign Red Sea access and disputes over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam remain central drivers of regional friction, with Addis Ababa asserting these geographic realities are non-negotiable while downstream nations fear unilateral actions threaten water security.
- On Sunday, leaders of Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia, and Sudan met in New Alamein and issued a joint declaration affirming that "governance of the Red Sea is strictly the responsibility of littoral states," rejecting unilateral water measures.
- Tensions deepened as Ethiopia and Egypt engaged in tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions; Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty denied Cairo's involvement in Ethiopia's internal unrest, describing the GERD dispute as a separate issue.
- Fighting in northern Ethiopia has intensified, raising international fears the crisis could spiral into wider regional confrontation; while the United States and African Union have called for dialogue, overlapping disputes place Ethiopia in an increasingly complicated environment.
102 Articles
102 Articles
Once Abiy Ahmed received the Nobel Peace Prize. Today he puts Eritrea under pressure. What is behind his course?
Cairo is trying to gather the opponents of Ethiopia around it, but it is still unknown what the strength of the alliance it has forged with Eritrea, Sudan and Somalia, and what Washington's reaction will be.
Ethiopia Reiterates Demand for Access to the Red Sea in a Position that Raises Tensions with Eritrea
The summit of coastal countries warned that the sovereignty of the Red Sea belongs only to coastal States, contrary to the demands of Addis Ababa.
Ethiopia pushes to secure Red Sea access as Tigray war raises regional tensions
Ethiopia pushes to secure Red Sea access as Tigray war raises regional tensions Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 10/06/2026 - 12:01 Addis Ababa says its ‘legitimate interests’ in the Red Sea must be recognised as Eritrea, Sudan and other neighbours reject unilateral moves A general view of Berbera Port and the city of Berbera, Somaliland, 31 August 2021 (Ed Ram/AFP) Off Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has renewed his call for access to the R…
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