Addis Ababa, October 5, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopia has warned that political rhetoric, coercive measures and proxy aggression cannot alter the geographic and historical realities surrounding the Abay River and the Red Sea, while reaffirming its sovereignty, territorial integrity and commitment to peaceful regional engagement.
In a press statement issued today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Ethiopia’s position as the source of the Abay River, commonly known as the Blue Nile, is an established geographic reality that must inform discussions concerning the river’s utilization and management.
Virtually all of the Blue Nile originates in the Ethiopian highlands, while the Abay contributes about 85 percent of the Nile River’s total flow, the Ministry said.
“These fundamental realities” must underpin any discussion concerning the utilization and management of the Abay, it stressed.
The Ministry also underscored Ethiopia’s enduring geographic and historical connection to the Red Sea, noting that although political boundaries have changed over time, Ethiopia remains closely connected to the maritime body, with its nearest border lying barely 30 miles from the coast.
“Any serious discussion of regional maritime affairs and security architecture must account for Ethiopia’s legitimate interests and its enduring connection to the Red Sea,” the statement said.
The Ministry made clear that neither political rhetoric nor coercive or destabilizing measures can change these underlying realities.
“These geographic and historical realities cannot be altered by political rhetoric, coercive measures, or acts of destabilization,” it said.
It further warned that actions undertaken through proxies or acts of aggression would neither change the facts on the ground nor diminish Ethiopia’s legitimate interests, role and responsibilities in the region.
At the same time, Ethiopia reaffirmed that its approach remains anchored in peaceful engagement, mutual respect and regional cooperation.
The Ministry said Ethiopia stands ready to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and core national interests, while urging regional actors to address shared challenges through constructive dialogue, partnership and the principles of good neighborliness rather than confrontation and zero-sum approaches.
The statement comes amid heightened regional discourse over the Nile and Red Sea. On October 4, Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan issued a joint declaration in which they addressed both Red Sea governance and transboundary Nile issues, including calls for consultation and consensus on measures affecting shared waters.
Ethiopia has separately maintained that, as the source of the Abay, it possesses a sovereign right to utilize its natural resources and has rejected efforts to deny source countries that right.
Against that backdrop, Monday’s MFA statement places Ethiopia’s position on the Abay and Red Sea within a broader regional debate, while emphasizing that geography and history cannot be rewritten through pressure or confrontation and that regional challenges should instead be addressed through dialogue, partnership and good-neighborly relations.