Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Addressed Red Sea Access in Parliament

January 26, 2018

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed today addressed the House of People’s Representatives during its 10th regular session of the fifth year, raising Ethiopia’s longstanding request over access to the Red Sea.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the Red Sea, stretching 5,000 kilometers from Massawa to Mogadishu, is home to approximately 25 million people across Somalia, Djibouti, and Eritrea. In contrast, Ethiopia, with a population of 130 million, remains landlocked until today.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed emphasized Ethiopia seeks only 50 kilometers of Red Sea access, underscoring the request as a matter of fairness, justice, and peaceful negotiation for regional cooperation.

The Premier also clarified that Ethiopia’s pursuit of sea access is not through force or conflict, but through peaceful dialogue and negotiation. “What is being asked is not through killing and looting, but through peaceful diplomatic manner. We must share, and they must share in the same way,” said, stressing that cooperation would bring mutual benefits.

The Prime Minister further noted that the Ethiopian government has prioritized resolving the issue through agreements, calling it “inevitable, if not a matter of time.”  He concluded by asserting that Ethiopia and the Red Sea are inseparable in the long run, describing sea access as a matter of natural law.