When Ethiopia’s prime minister asserted on 13 October that gaining low-cost, permanent access to a Red Sea port is “an existential matter” for his landlocked country, his seeming imperial ambitions have left neighbors uneasy. “What I wanted to talk to you today is regarding water; regarding the Red Sea Water. We can see that only a narrow strip of land separates us from the sea. The comment has spawned resentment amongst Ethiopia’s neighbors, with Eritrea saying the commentary was “excessive and perplexing to all concerned observers,” according to a statement published by Eritrea’s Information Ministry. Ethiopia’s dreams of building a ‘great power’ in the region should worry all Africans, experts say.

Source: The North Africa Journal November 17, 2023 02:56 UTC