Prime Minister Addis Ababa, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, told Parliament Thursday that Ethiopia “does not want to invade Eritrea for the Red Sea.”
“Our desire is to negotiate on the principles of give and take,” Abiy said, adding that Ethiopia is looking for a solution that is consistent with “people interests” and “market principles.” He warned that avoiding discussion on the issue could have long-term consequences. “If we ignore this today, it will cause problems in the future. We have to deal with it and engage in discussions rather than relying on conflict. There is no need for war,” he said.
His remarks come amid growing tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Earlier this week, Eritrea Foreign Minister Ottoman Salech said his country was “confusing” by Ethiopia’s “misplaced and outdated ambitions” for maritime access and warned against attempts to achieve this goal through diplomacy or military force.
Lt. Gen. Tsadkan Gebretensae, vice president of the Tigray Interim administration, warned that the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea “seems inevitable.” Similarly, Getachew Reda, president of the Tigray Interim administration, accused Eritrea of ”thinking that it could benefit from the chaos created in Tigray.”
Similarly, Sen. James Rich, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has expressed concern over the situation, warning that the updated conflict in “northern Ethiopia” could have “devastating consequences,” and urges both Ethiopia and Eritrea to “expose quickly.”
Amid these tensions, Abiy rejected the accusation that Ethiopia was seeking conflict with Eritrea. “There have been a lot of charges, but most have no water,” he said, describing the Eritreans as “brothers and kind people” who are seeking development like Ethiopians. “What we need is economic progress, not war. Our goal is not to harm one another, but to work together to grow one another.”
Sign up for the AllAfrica newsletter for free
Get the latest African news
success!
Almost finished…
You need to check your email address.
Follow the instructions in the email you sent to complete the process.
error!
There was a problem processing the submission. Please try again later.
However, he insisted that Ethiopia was ready to defend itself when necessary. “We have no fear. This needs to be underlined,” he said. “No one is encouraged to challenge us. We are fully prepared.” However, he emphasized that Ethiopia’s military preparations aim to state that “we do not want to prevent war and start a conflict rather than start it.”
He emphasized that Ethiopia’s role in the region is to promote “peace and development” citing its involvement in Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan. “We have refrained from being involved in direct military conflicts with people up until now, and our goal is to continue this path,” he said.
Abiy also warned against external provocations. “If you’re provoked, retaliation is important so there shouldn’t be any provocation from any side,” he said. “But on our part, I assure you that there is no provocation,” he reiterated that Ethiopia’s position on access to the Red Sea, although not linked to the ruling Prosperity Party or the current parliament, is a national priority.
“A country with 130 million people, a desire to lift itself up from economic growth and poverty will not remain limited while its access is restricted,” he said.
He sought “peaceful and mutually beneficial solutions” to Ethiopia’s quest for access to the sea, urging the international community to “help our neighbors too” while acknowledging Ethiopian needs. “We hope that this issue will be resolved through dialogue and understanding,” he added.
