Ambassador Nebiyu Tedla Negash is Director General of the Public Diplomacy Directorate General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
The Ambassador has authored a comprehensive article titled “Ethiopia’s Quest for Maritime Sovereignty: History, Geopolitics, and the Imperative of Sea Access,” published by a premier independent research and publication think tank dedicated to political, diplomatic, and security analysis in the Horn of Africa.
The ambassador underscored that attempts to halt the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam delayed but did not prevent its completion. Similar efforts to deny Ethiopia maritime access will ultimately fail, not through confrontation but through the force of geopolitical logic.
Ethiopia’s approach to the region stands in sharp contrast. While others politicize geography, Ethiopia seeks geo-economic integration and connectivity.
The GERD symbolizes the end of antiquated systems of Nile governance and the emergence of a new Pax Africana grounded in equality and collective benefit.
Ethiopia’s vision for the Red Sea and Horn of Africa is not one of spheres of influence but of shared prosperity, where economies are linked, infrastructure is integrated, and security is indivisible. Ethiopia’s Maritime Aspiration is Peaceful, Principled, and Inevitable.
Despite external pressures, Ethiopia continues to prioritize diplomatic engagement. Its cooperation with Somalia, its commitment to IGAD and the African Union, and its restraint toward Eritrea despite provocations reflect a responsible regional posture.
Ethiopia understands that stability cannot emerge from coercion or exclusion but from negotiated interdependence.
A durable settlement that guarantees Ethiopia sovereign maritime access would benefit all Red Sea states. It would reduce the risks of escalation, enhance regional trade, and create predictable frameworks for cooperation on water, energy, and security.
Ethiopia’s return to the sea is not a challenge to any nation. It is the restoration of a historical equilibrium and the fulfillment of a strategic necessity.
By Birhanu Workneh
