Adiss Ababa (Hornpost) Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, in an interview with the state-run broadcaster ETV aired on September 1, said that the “mistake” Ethiopia made in giving up Eritrea’s Assab port would be “corrected soon.”
Ethiopia’s push to gain access to the Red Sea has sparked renewed tensions with Eritrea, whose leaders previously described the plan as a “toxic, expansionist agenda.”
“For a thousand years, we were unable to benefit from the Nile River, which should have provided us with essential services. Similarly, we had access to the Red Sea just 30 years ago. That presence was in very recent history,” Abiy said.
“The mistake made yesterday will be corrected tomorrow. It is not difficult,” he added, speaking from a scenic location near the Nile Dam.
His remarks came days after Ethiopia’s senior military diplomat, General Teshome Gemechu, said the Eritrean port of Assab was a “national objective” under discussion within the government. Analysts expect Abiy’s comments to further escalate tensions with Eritrea.
Abiy also pledged that Ethiopia will launch massive new projects in the coming 5–15 years, comparable to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) project.
“Now that we have seen we can start and finish projects like GERD, I confidently tell you we will begin other large projects in the next five, ten, or fifteen years. If we can build this, what can’t we do?” he said.
The dam, set to become Africa’s largest hydroelectric plant, has the capacity to generate more than 5,000 megawatts of electricity. It has already heightened tensions with Egypt, which fears its Nile water share could be reduced.
The project was officially launched 14 years ago under then-Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, marking the start of what is now Africa’s largest dam.
Abiy noted that the number of tourists visiting Ethiopia in July and August this year was far lower compared to the past two years.
“My hope is that the GERD will be opened for all Ethiopians to visit in the next week, or at most within 15 days, so they can see it and enjoy tourism there,” he said, adding that over 100 guest houses had been prepared for visitors.
He also urged Ethiopians to visit the site and learn how the country has overcome challenges that set it back for centuries.
Ethiopia’s Naval Ambitions:
Ethiopia, a landlocked country, has in recent years been working to rebuild a navy for strategic purposes. Since the early 1990s, it has had no functional naval force, despite once possessing a significant maritime presence.
When Abiy Ahmed became prime minister in 2018, one of his initiatives was to revive Ethiopia’s naval power.
The state-run Fana Broadcasting Agency quoted Abiy as saying military reforms were needed to “adapt to the rapidly changing world and to keep pace with economic and political progress.”
Ethiopia is widely believed to be seeking greater influence in the Red Sea region and a role in safeguarding the maritime routes used by its commercial shipping.
Most of Ethiopia’s imports and exports currently pass through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Source: interviewed by ETV
Hornpost Staff Reporter