Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stated on Thursday, October 26, 2023, that he would not attack any country, alluding to worries held by neighboring nations that he may use force to get access to a seaport.
Tensions with regional states and the possibility of a new conflict in the Horn of Africa increased when Abiy told state media on October 13 that Ethiopia should assert what he called the landlocked nation’s right to access the Red Sea as much as possible by peaceful means.
Coastal Eritrea, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a protracted civil war, called recent remarks about the Red Sea “excessive” and asked that those who are worried not to be incited, without specifically mentioning Abiy’s remarks.
Following that, both nations moved soldiers closer to their common border, according to diplomats and humanitarians aware of the movements, sparking fears of yet another clash in an already violent region.
“Ethiopia has never invaded any country and now Ethiopia has no intention to invade any country,” Abiy told thousands of soldiers gathered in the capital Addis Ababa to celebrate the national army on Thursday.
Abiy said Ethiopia would not pursue its interests “through force”, and that “it wouldn’t pull the trigger on its fellow brothers.”
Days after the exchange, according to two diplomats and one humanitarian, Ethiopia sent troops toward the same border with Eritrea, which was then stationed near the town of Bure on the latter country’s Afar region.
In 2019, Abiy was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to bring an end to 20 years of hostilities with Eritrea.
After that, Eritrea fought alongside Ethiopia against regional forces from Tigray, but after Asmara was left out of the peace negotiations that brought an end to that conflict in November and since some of its troops were still stationed there, ties between the two countries deteriorated once more.
“It’s an open secret that relations between Addis Ababa and Asmara have grown ever frostier over the past year,” said Alan Boswell, project director, Horn of Africa, at the International Crisis Group.
“There are major concerns around the region that the relationship could deteriorate further and risk outright hostility.”
In reaction to Abiy’s most recent remarks, a senior government official from Djibouti—home to naval bases for a number of countries, including China and the United States—stated that his nation is sovereign.
“Our territorial integrity cannot be disputed today, or tomorrow,” said Alexis Mohamed, a senior adviser to Djibouti’s president.
When asked for response, the Somalian administration did not answer right away.
Ref: Reuters
