ETHIOPIA-ERITREA | A Red Sea War?

In October 2023, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed Ali, raised fears of a new war with neighbouring Eritrea. In a high-profile televised speech, he claimed that Ethiopia should assert its right to access the Red Sea. Raising fears that Ethiopia was preparing for conflict, Eritrean forces moved close to the border. But while Abiy Ahmed has now insisted that Ethiopia wouldn't resort to armed force, many worry that a new war may be brewing between the two countries, especially as they have a long history of conflict.

Eritrea and Ethiopia have a long and complex history. However, while Ethiopia was never colonised, Eritrea was seized by Italy in the nineteenth century. However, after the Second World War, it was placed under British trusteeship pending a decision on its future. But opinion was divided. While many wanted it to become independent, others wanted it to unite with neighbouring Ethiopia. Ultimately, the United Nations General Assembly voted to create a federation. However, this was short-lived. As tensions grew, Ethiopia needed the federal system and annexed Eritrea. This led to a long campaign against Ethiopian control - the Eritrean War of Independence. This eventually ended when the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) teamed up with the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF) to overthrow Ethiopia's military government in 1991. Two years later, Eritrea became independent. Relations soon collapsed between the two partners as Eritrea claimed territory along the border, including Tigray. This led to a new war in 1998-2000. But while the sides eventually agreed on arbitration and established a Boundary Commission, Ethiopia rejected its findings until 2018, when a new prime minister, Abiy Ahmed Ali, took over. Determined to push back on Tigrayan/TPLF power in Ethiopia, he agreed to the award, winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Meanwhile, relations between Addis Ababa and Asmara continued to improve, especially as Eritrea's leader Isaias Afwerki, a fierce opponent of the TPLF, assisted Ethiopia in its civil war against Tigray. But since the end of the war, relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia have soured again. As Ethiopia grows economically, it is trying to gain direct access to the Red Sea. And it's this that's now sparking fears of a new war.

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*VIDEO CHAPTERS*
00:00 Introduction and Titles
00:46 Landlocked States in International Relations
02:02 Ethiopia and Eritrea: Location and Population
03:30 The Emergence of Ethiopia and Eritrea
04:32 The Federation of Ethiopia and Eritrea
05:48 The Eritrean War of Independence
08:16 Eritrea-Ethiopia War
09:56 A New Peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea
11:28 Ethiopia, Eritrea and the Tigray War
13:12 Ethiopia-Eritrea: A Return to War?

*SOURCES AND FURTHER READING*
Office of the Prime Minister | Ethiopia
https://www.pmo.gov.et
Office of the Prime Minister | Ethiopia | YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@officeoftheprimeminister-e1878
UN Commission for Eritrea
https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/673432
Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission
https://pca-cpa.org/en/cases/99/
PM Abiy Ahmed Speech | 14 October 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMhN-aAsiV0

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#Ethiopia #Eritrea #RedSea