Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been making waves over his desire Ethiopia to have access to the Red Sea. For the landlocked nation in the horn of Africa the only obstacle to their access to water is Eritrea, a country which gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993.

Abiy, who was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 for diplomacy work between Ethiopia and Eritrea, promised that there is no military ill-will behind Ethiopia’s overtures. However, for the coastal country, which has been led by the same President since 1991, there are unavoidable concerns that forcible reunification efforts are motivating this move from Abiy in Addis Ababa.

Nevertheless this is the most pointed position Abiy has taken on the issue of sea access, with neighboring countries Djibouti, and Somalia also expressing concerns that they may also be targets of Ethiopian interests and aggression, especially if discussions with Eritrea fail.