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Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie said on Monday that securing access to the sea should be treated as a question of sovereignty and historical justice for Ethiopia, a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa region. Speaking during commemorations in Addis Ababa for the 130th anniversary of the Battle of Adwa, he linked today’s port-access goal to the legacy of the 1896 victory over Italian colonial forces.
Taye framed what he described as “reliable and sustainable” sea access as “a sovereign trust inherited from those who died in the battle,” tying modern diplomatic aims to the symbolism of Adwa, a milestone widely recognized as a defining anti-colonial victory that helped preserve Ethiopia’s sovereignty.
Marking the March 1 anniversary of the 1896 battle, Taye pointed to historical records indicating that, after Adwa, Ethiopia’s diplomacy focused not only on safeguarding independence but also on seeking ownership of a maritime outlet that could connect the country to the wider world.
In his remarks, he presented sea access as a continuation of post-Adwa priorities rather than a new policy direction, while keeping the emphasis on long-term national interests.
Ethiopia has been landlocked since 1993, when Eritrea gained independence. With a population of roughly 130 million, Ethiopia now leans heavily on neighboring Djibouti for most of its maritime trade, making port access a central economic and logistical issue.
Taye argued that the outlook for “130 million people” would improve only once the country’s lack of direct sea access is addressed, aligning the issue with national development as well as sovereignty.
Taye said Ethiopia’s interest in port access is being pursued through peaceful means and on the basis of mutual benefit.
However, the issue remains delicate in the region. Eritrea has rejected any suggestion that its Red Sea coastline could be negotiated over, describing recent Ethiopian rhetoric on sea access as provocative and urging respect for Eritrean sovereignty and territorial integrity. Regional analysts, meanwhile, describe the question as sensitive in the Horn of Africa, where relations between Addis Ababa and Asmara have fluctuated despite a 2018 peace agreement that formally ended two decades of hostility.
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