Ethiopia’s ports were not peripheral appendages but strategic arteries connecting the highland state to global trade, diplomacy, and military projection. Its integration into Eritrea created a profound geographic paradox – a peripheral port for Eritrea became an existential chokepoint for Ethiopia. Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and others provided ideological, diplomatic, and military support – not out of solidarity with Eritrean identity, but to weaken Ethiopia’s strategic position. Denying Ethiopia maritime access complemented Nile politics – a landlocked Ethiopia would be diplomatically constrained, economically dependent, and militarily limited. Therefore, unless Eritrea demonstrates a willingness to engage in good-faith negotiations to grant Ethiopia sovereign maritime access, its own sovereignty will remain perpetually questioned and geopolitically undermined.

Source: Ethiopian News February 14, 2026 13:07 UTC