Addis Ababa — Ethiopia's sovereign access to the sea would foster economic, political, and security cooperation in the region, Kenea Yadeta, Security Advisor to the Prime Minister with the rank of State Minister told ENA.
According to him, Ethiopia's quest for access to sea is, first and foremost, a matter of sovereignty.
He noted that Ethiopia has already securitized the issue of lack of sea access, emphasizing that it holds historical and legal grounds to pursue the route to the sea.
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"Access to sea, in the Ethiopian context, is fundamentally an issue of sovereignty. And the country in fact has all the historical and legal justification to sovereign access to sea."
The Advisor added that the issue has increasingly gained domestic acceptability while also becoming more recognized at the international level.
The campaign for access to sea has unified Ethiopians, regardless of political affiliation or religious differences, Kenea noted.
Ethiopia is an anchoring state in the region, the Advisor said, pointing out that the country has been playing a major role in regional economic growth, integration, security, and stability.
He stressed that the issue of sovereign access to the sea extends beyond internal considerations, contributing to broader regional and neighbor-to-neighbor integration, including Ethiopia's ties with surrounding countries.
"The issue of access to sea has even to go beyond domestic needs, it has a big implication on economic, political and social integration in the region."
Highlighting the interconnected nature of security, Kenea said stability in Ethiopia directly affects neighboring countries; and problems in places such as Somalia and Sudan can also have implications for Ethiopia's peace and security, reflecting what he described as a security complex.
Under this view, Ethiopia supports security cooperation and connectivity, and sovereign sea access to Ethiopia would bring economic, political, and security benefits across the region.
The Advisor pointed out that the country's claim is backed by historical and legal justification as well as a population of over 130 million people; and achieving sovereign access to sea would influence the political, social, and security environment across the region.
"If Ethiopia gets sovereign access to sea in one way or another, this will have positive impact on the political, social and security of the Horn of Africa," Kenea noted.
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He underscored that Ethiopia's sovereign presence at the sea would contribute positively to regional peace and security, should the country secure the access it seeks.
