Djibouti Denies Ethiopia’s Red Sea Port Proposal

Djibouti, Eritrea, and Somalia have all rejected Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's request for direct access to a Red Sea port, which serves as one of the busiest shipping routes in the world.

Alexis Mohamed, a senior adviser to Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh, stated, 'Our two countries have always maintained strong, friendly relations. But you should also know that Djibouti is a sovereign country, and therefore, our territorial integrity is not questionable, neither today nor tomorrow.'

Abiy has identified obtaining sea access as a strategic goal for landlocked Ethiopia and has warned that failure to achieve it could lead to future conflicts. He proposed talks with neighboring countries and suggested that they could be given shares in the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in exchange for similar stakes in their ports. He also referenced nineteenth-century Abyssinian warrior Ras Alula Abanega, who stated that the Red Sea was Ethiopia's 'natural boundary.'

Earlier this week, Eritrea labeled Abiy's comments as 'excessive' and stated that 'the affair has perplexed all concerned observers.' Ali Omar, the State Minister of Foreign Affairs for Somalia, stated that his country's sovereignty and territorial integrity are 'sacrosanct and not open for discussion.'

Abiy's pursuit of port access comes amidst efforts to quell widespread domestic dissent and incorporate militia members from the northern Amhara region into the national army. Ethiopia's finances have been heavily impacted by the global pandemic and a two-year civil war with rebels from the Tigray region, prompting the country to negotiate debt restructuring. Today, the prime minister's office announced that Abiy visited China's deep-sea Yangshan Port and held discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other high-ranking officials. Ethiopia has been invited to join the New Development Bank, established by the Brics group of developing countries, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

Abiy and Xi announced earlier this week that they would elevate their relations to an 'all-weather strategic partnership' to strengthen friendship, mutual trust, and bilateral engagement.

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