The Ethiopian government has reiterated that access to the sea route is an indispensable national need, which is essential for strengthening regional cooperation, economic growth, and maintaining stability and security in the Horn of Africa.
A report presented by the government and supporting experts said that Ethiopia’s demand is based on international law, historical justice, and the principle of cooperation.
The government argued that Ethiopia, which currently has more than 120 million people, needs a sea route to protect national interests, accelerate economic growth, and contribute to regional stability.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who is part of the report, said that Ethiopia’s demand for the sea route has a legal, historical, geographical, and economic basis, stressing that diplomatic efforts will continue.
Government officials and experts, including Tilahun Tefera of the Ethiopian Policy Studies Institute (PSI), have called the loss of the coastline a historical injustice that needs to be redressed.
He called on academics, the media, diplomats and the Ethiopian diaspora to fully support the maritime issue.
Gashaw Ayferam of the Institute of Foreign Affairs also said that the loss of the sea route was a result of external pressure and internal weakness, insisting that Ethiopia considers the restoration of the sea route an essential national issue.
