Ethiopia’s Pursuit of Sovereign Access to Sea to Strengthen Regional Peace and Economic Integration, Says PM Security Advisor

Addis Ababa, June 14, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopia’s sovereign access to the sea would foster economic, political, and security cooperation in the region, according to Kenea Yadeta, Security Advisor to the Prime Minister with the rank of State Minister.

He said Ethiopia’s quest for access to the sea is, first and foremost, a matter of sovereignty.

He noted that Ethiopia has already securitized the issue of lack of sea access, emphasizing that it holds historical and legal grounds to pursue sovereign access to the sea.

“Access to sea, in the Ethiopian context, is fundamentally an issue of sovereignty. And the country in fact has all the historical and legal justification to sovereign access to sea,” he said.

The Advisor added that the issue has increasingly gained domestic acceptance while also becoming more recognized at the international level.

He noted that the campaign for access to the sea has unified Ethiopians regardless of political affiliation or religious differences.

Describing Ethiopia as an anchoring state in the region, Kenea said the country has been playing a major role in regional economic growth, integration, security, and stability.

He stressed that the issue of sovereign access to the sea extends beyond internal considerations, contributing to broader regional and neighbor-to-neighbor integration, including Ethiopia’s ties with surrounding countries.

“The issue of access to sea has even to go beyond domestic needs, it has a big implication on economic, political and social integration in the region,” he said.

Highlighting the interconnected nature of regional security, Kenea said stability in Ethiopia directly affects neighboring countries, while instability in Somalia and Sudan can also have implications for Ethiopia’s peace and security.

He described this as a security complex, under which regional states are interdependent in matters of stability.

Under this view, he said Ethiopia supports security cooperation and regional connectivity, noting that sovereign access to the sea would bring economic, political, and security benefits across the region, as per a report from local media ENA.

The Advisor pointed out that Ethiopia’s position is backed by historical and legal justification as well as a population of over 130 million people, adding that achieving sovereign access to the sea would influence the political, social, and security environment across the region.

“If Ethiopia gets sovereign access to sea in one way or another, this will have positive impact on the political, social and security of the Horn of Africa,” Kenea noted.

He further underscored that Ethiopia’s sovereign presence at the sea would contribute positively to regional peace and security, should the country secure the access it seeks.