Ethiopian Airlines was not immediately available for comment. Abiy reportedly made the remarks in a meeting with investors and business people in Addis Ababa recently, but this could not be verified independently. According to Amba, the prime minister said the Ethiopian government was exploring all options to secure a port for the country through negotiations with Eritrea, Djibouti, and Somaliland. "In the case of Eritrea, the government has proposed to give 30% of Ethiopian Airlines to the Eritrean government in exchange for port access [presumably Massawa]," the report said. Abiy also said the government would consider using force to secure a port, but this would be a last resort.

Source: Ethiopian News July 27, 2023 12:22 UTC