WIREDGOV

EXPERT COMMENT

Ethiopia’s ambition to secure Red Sea access, Eritrea’s interference in Ethiopia’s internal affairs and a power struggle in Tigray could explode into a wider regional war. Mediation is urgently needed.

The threat of war is looming over the Horn of Africa once again, with observers warning of a return to fighting in Tigray, which could also lead to conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea. 

Ethiopia’s ambition to secure access to the Red Sea via ports it lost to Eritrea in the 1990s, alongside Eritrea’s continued interference in Ethiopia’s internal affairs, have led to a dramatic deterioration of the relationship between the countries over the past two years. The mobilization of troops along both sides of their shared border highlights the seriousness of the situation.

With the rules-based international order under significant strain, Ethiopia – the world’s most populous landlocked country, with over 120 million people but no coastline – may consider this an opportune moment to be more assertive in its efforts to break out of its ‘geographical prison’.

Click here to continue reading the full version of this Expert Comment on the Chatham House website.