Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed Unveils Plans to Secure Port Access by Negotiation or by Force

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said he would not invade any nation in comments aimed at quelling neighboring countries' concerns that he might use force to secure access to a seaport.

Abiy told state media on Oct. 13 that Ethiopia should assert the landlocked nation's right to access the Red Sea as much as possible through peaceful means, raising tensions with regional governments and the specter of a fresh conflict in the Horn of Africa.

Coastal Eritrea, which secured independence from Ethiopia in 1993 following a lengthy civil war, described recent commentary over the Red Sea as "excessive" and urged concerned parties not to be provoked without directly addressing Abiy's comments.