Abiy of Ethiopia denies conflict with Eritrea over access to the Red Sea

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia declared Thursday that his administration will not pursue a confrontation with longstanding adversary Eritrea over Red Sea access, following warnings from regional authorities and academics about a potential clash between the neighbors of the Horn of Africa.

According to a human rights group, Eritrea ordered a nationwide military mobilization, while Ethiopia sent troops near the border, giving rise to fears of conflict in recent weeks, officials and diplomatic sources told Reuters.

Abiy stated, “Ethiopia does not have any intention of engaging in conflict with Eritrea for the purpose of gaining access to the sea,” in a post to X from his office.

His administration sought to resolve the issue amicably through conversation, Abiy continued, even if landlocked Ethiopia’s access to the Red Sea was an existential issue.

The area is already dealing with the aftermath of the conflict in Sudan; further fighting between two of Africa’s biggest armies would put a stop to a historic reconciliation for which Abiy was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 and run the risk of a humanitarian catastrophe.

Over the course of the 2020–2022 civil war between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and Ethiopia’s central government, which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, Eritrea backed Ethiopian federal forces.

After Eritrea was excluded from negotiations to end the war in November 2022, however, the neighbors were at odds once more.

Both factions are vying for control of the Tigray region’s post-war transitional administration, which has caused the TPLF to divide since then.

Dissidents claim their opponents have not adequately safeguarded Tigrayan interests, while the present interim government has accused the faction of working with Eritrea.

The accusations made by each side are refuted.

Abiy informed parliament on Thursday that the interim administration’s mandate has been extended for an additional year, subject to certain changes. A major demand of the dissident faction, he did not clarify whether the adjustments will involve new leadership selections.

The general election is scheduled for 2026, and he stated that “the interim administration will continue until the next election in accordance with the Pretoria agreement.”