Officials in Eritrea stated that they will not engage in discussions about Ethiopia’s use of the Red Sea after some questionable remarks made by Addis Ababa.
During his speech to lawmakers, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed explained that having access to the Red Sea is extremely important for the survival of his country.
Mr Abiy said that the Red Sea and the Nile River are really important for Ethiopia and can either help it grow or destroy it. Some people think that what he said might lead to problems with Eritrea.
Ethiopia became the biggest landlocked country in Africa when Eritrea separated from it in 1993. Since then, it has relied on the small country of Djibouti for more than 85% of the things it brings in and sends out.
Ethiopia said some time ago that it wanted to build its navy again. Abiy mentioned that ports in Eritrea, Djibouti, and Somaliland are places where we can peacefully acquire facilities.
A short message from Eritrea’s Ministry of Information on Monday said that recent discussions about access to the sea and related topics were too much. It said that the issue has confused everyone who is paying attention.
Eritrea helped the government of Addis Ababa during a very violent war in the Ethiopian region of Tigray.
Prime Minister Abiy collaborated with Eritrean leader Isias Afeworki in 2018 to bring an end to a long and difficult 20-year war between their countries.
Tag: Abiy
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Eritrea reacts to contentious remarks made by Abiy about Red Sea
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Mahama to present report on peace, security in Africa at Tana Forum
Former President John Dramani Mahama is in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, for the 10th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa.
He was received at the Bahur Dar airport by the President of Amhara Region, Dr yilkal kefal Amhara and officials of the Tana Secretariat.
The three-day Forum is on the theme “Managing security threats: building resilience for the Africa we want”.
The former Ghanaian leader is the Chairperson of the Tana Forum and will present a report on the State of Peace and Security in Africa for 2021.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is expected to officially open the Forum, with the President of Sudan, the Vice President of Uganda, a number of former presidents and prime ministers and officials of the African Union in attendance.
Over one hundred participants are attending the Forum in person, with others joining the virtual session.
In a message to participants, President Mahama said the world is experiencing a host of challenges, adding that, “our continent, Africa, and the world must address ongoing socioeconomic, political, and security challenges head-on.”
“The African continent is mired by unconstitutional changes of government, intra-state conflict, and terrorism that continue to punctuate our peace and security spheres. Our continent has witnessed six ‘successful’ coups, and two attempted coups in the last two years alone. Authoritarian entrenchment seems almost a hallmark not only in Africa but around the globe”, he added.
The Tana Forum is an initiative in response to the African Union’s Tripoli Declaration of August 2009 for “African-led solutions” and to peace and security as a collective “intellectual challenge”.
The annual Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa was initiated by the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) of the Addis Ababa University (AAU) and the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. The Forum brings African leaders, decision-makers, and stakeholders to engage and explore African-led security solutions.
Members of the Tana Board are H.E. Hailemariam Desalegn, former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, H.E. Dr. Joyce Banda, former President, Republic of Malawi, H.E. Catherine Samba-Panza, former President, Central African Republic Central African Republic, and H.E. Michelle Ndiaye, Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission.
The others are Amb. Lakhdar Brahimi, former Algerian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Lassina Zerbo, Executive Secretary, Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), Amb. Soad M. Shalaby, Director-General, Egyptian African Centre for Women (EACW), Mr. Alain Foka, Journalist, Radio France International, France and Professor Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba, Former Director and Chief Executive Officer, Kenya School of Laws.