Photo credit: Arab News
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed reiterated on Monday that his landlocked country must have access to the Red Sea, despite neighbouring countries saying at a summit on Sunday that responsibility for the sea rests with the states along its shores and warning of the risk of regional conflict.
The Associated Press reports that Ethiopia lost access to the Red Sea in 1993 after Eritrea, formerly a region of Ethiopia, became independent.
Abiy said access to the Red Sea was critical to Ethiopia’s “civilization” and that he would work to ensure the country has a port.
Ethiopia’s relations with its regional neighbours have deteriorated in recent months. The country also faces renewed war with separatist rebels in the northern Tigray region.
