Addis Abeba — Ethiopia participated in a two-day Maritime Law Enforcement Dialogue held in Nairobi this week, bringing together security officials from Ethiopia, Yemen, Djibouti and Somalia to strengthen cooperation and information-sharing amid growing maritime threats in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the United Nations said.
Current events newsletter The dialogue was facilitated by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with support from the European Union, INTERPOL, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
Discussions focused on strengthening maritime domain awareness, operational cooperation and coordinated responses to threats including piracy, illegal fishing, trafficking in persons, migrant smuggling and narcotics trafficking.
Captain Kibru Mesfin of the Ethiopian Maritime Authority said maritime security was an economic necessity for Ethiopia, with most of the country's trade passing through neighboring Djibouti.
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He said disruptions to maritime routes could increase shipping and insurance costs, delay essential goods and undermine export capacity. Mesfin called for stronger links between maritime authorities, coast guards and law enforcement agencies, as well as more organized and harmonized systems for sharing maritime information among Ethiopia, Djibouti, Yemen and Somalia.
He also highlighted Ethiopia's efforts to establish a National Maritime Information Centre, saying stronger regional connections would provide authorities with timely information for maritime security and decision-making.
Red Sea trade The UN said the dialogue came as maritime tensions in parts of the Middle East create wider concerns for shipping security in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Discover moreLocal newspaper deliveryPolitical commentary forumTigray region newsNews subscription serviceDownloading Interactive Geographic MapsEthiopian travel guideMedia consulting services Djibouti Maritime Authority official Abdurrahim Muhammad Ali said regional security threats were interconnected and called for closer information-sharing among countries facing similar challenges.
The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden constitute critical maritime corridors linking regional economies to international markets, with disruptions potentially affecting shipping routes and supply chains beyond the region, the UN said.
Ethiopia's participation in the maritime law enforcement dialogue in Nairobi comes amid the government's continued efforts to secure access to the Red Sea, which Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has repeatedly described as a matter of strategic and, more recently, existential importance to the country.
Addis Ababa real estate In October 2023, Abiy publicly raised the issue in a televised address to lawmakers, saying access to the Red Sea was an "existential matter" for Ethiopia and calling for national discussion on the country's maritime interests. The remarks marked a significant shift in Ethiopia's public discourse on sea access and were followed by heightened regional sensitivities over the issue.
In October 2024, Abiy told parliament that Ethiopia had an "unwavering national interest" in securing access to the Red Sea but stressed that the objective would be pursued through peaceful means. "We do not seek it through war or force," he said, adding that Ethiopia would not shy away from pursuing what he described as a legitimate national interest.
The issue gained further regional attention following the signing in January 2024 of a Memorandum of Understanding between Ethiopia and Somaliland, which envisaged Ethiopia obtaining access to the sea in exchange for potential recognition of Somaliland. The agreement drew strong opposition from Somalia, which considers Somaliland part of its sovereign territory, and triggered diplomatic tensions between Addis Ababa and Mogadishu.
More recently, in March 2025, Abiy told parliament that Ethiopia had no intention of invading Eritrea over access to the Red Sea, while reiterating that sea access was "existential" for the landlocked country. He said Ethiopia preferred negotiations based on a "give and take" principle and urged the parties to address the issue through dialogue rather than conflict.
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Ethiopia's maritime ambitions have also coincided with the government's efforts to rebuild the country's naval capabilities despite its landlocked status. The Ethiopian Navy was re-established in 2019, with the government presenting it as part of a broader effort to develop maritime capabilities and protect Ethiopia's long-term national interests.
Against this backdrop, Ethiopia's participation in regional maritime security and law-enforcement forums provides an avenue for engagement on issues including maritime security, transnational crime and the safety of vital shipping routes, while also placing Addis Ababa within broader regional discussions over the security and governance of the Red Sea and surrounding waters.
