Afwerki decries ‘foreign meddling’ as Ethiopia seeks port

Cairo (Somalia Today) — Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki decried “foreign meddling” in the Horn of Africa, accusing outside powers of “complicating” regional conflicts during a visit to Egypt that coincided with rising tensions over Ethiopia’s push for sea access.

In a wide-ranging interview with Egyptian media aired Tuesday, Afwerki said instability in countries such as Somalia, Ethiopia, and South Sudan was “not only internal but also regional and even global.”

His remarks followed a five-day trip to Cairo for talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, focused on regional security.

The visit, which concluded Tuesday, saw El-Sisi reaffirm Egypt’s “firm commitment to supporting Eritrea’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,“ according to a joint statement. The meeting underscores a tightening alignment between Cairo and Asmara as Ethiopia — a regional rival to both — intensifies its demands for a sovereign port.

Ethiopia, the world’s most populous landlocked nation, lost its coastline in 1993 when Eritrea gained independence after a 30-year war.

According to UN records, that separation left Ethiopia reliant on neighboring Djibouti for more than 85% of its trade. In late 2023, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed declared sea access an “existential question,“ sharply escalating regional tensions.

Red Sea’ ownership’

In his interview with Al-Qahera News, President Isaias said conflicts in the Horn had “become complicated due to the intervention of various forces and governments.”

He specifically criticized the deployment of international “special envoys“ to resolve conflicts, arguing such initiatives “complicate the situation and make it intractable.“

“The responsibility is primarily internal,“ Isaias said. “External actors are not needed to intervene unless to complicate internal and local situations in every country.”

His critique of foreign interference extended to maritime security. Isaias argued that Red Sea states must “take ownership“ of the vital waterway and warned against the proliferation of foreign military bases.

“The countries of this region must shoulder their responsibility to secure this international waterway,“ he said. “They must be able to secure their coastlines first, not external forces.”

Eritrea–Ethiopia port tensions

Afwerki’s visit came just days after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed reignited the sea-access debate in a fiery speech to parliament on October 28.

Abiy contended that Ethiopia’s 1993 loss of sea access lacked an “official record or institutional decision,“ questioning its legality. “If the people did not know, the parliament did not know… who, then, made the decision?“ he asked.

He said Ethiopia’s demand was “a matter of national existence“. He acknowledged discussing the issue with Isaias after their 2018 peace deal.

Abiy accused Eritrea of rejecting an offer to rehabilitate the port of Assab — a plan he said included Ethiopia supplying electricity and port equipment from a “friendly third country.”

“The Eritrean side ‘showed no willingness‘ to make the port functional,“ Abiy told lawmakers.

The prime minister also accused Asmara of undermining the 2022 Pretoria Agreement that ended the Tigray war, alleging Eritrea “took a position that as long as the TPLF… were not fully destroyed, lasting peace could not be achieved.“

‘Prelude to aggression’

The heated rhetoric from Addis Ababa follows a sharp diplomatic escalation.

On October 7, Eritrean Information Minister Yemane G. Meskel blasted Ethiopia’s sea-access narrative as “bizarre“ and lacking any “geographical, legal, or geopolitical basis.“

“Historically, such deceit has been a prelude to aggression,“ Meskel wrote, calling it a “cynical attempt to usurp other nations’ wealth.”

That exchange followed a letter from Ethiopia to the UN Secretary-General dated October 2. In the letter, Ethiopia accused Eritrea and “hardline elements“ of the TPLF of forming a new alliance, “Tsimdo,“ to “wage war“ against the state.

The letter, signed by Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos, reiterated Ethiopia’s intent to secure “sovereign access to the sea through legal means if possible, and military force if necessary,“ according to diplomatic sources familiar with its contents.

Eritrea dismissed the allegations as a “deceitful charade.”

Despite the threats, Abiy concluded his October 28 speech by calling for international mediation from the United States, China, Russia, and Europe. Analysts, however, warn that the dispute risks igniting a new conflict.