Addis Ababa, October 24, 2026 (FMC) — For a country of more than 130 million people, access to the sea is inseparable from long-term security, sovereignty and the prospects of future generations, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said, placing the issue alongside Africa’s broader need for reliable transport links and more accessible regional markets.
Speaking at the 12th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa in Bahir Dar, Abiy described Ethiopia’s maritime access as an existential concern.
He pointed to the challenge of planning for generations ahead when every route to global markets must pass through other countries, linking the issue to national security and the country’s sovereign interests.
Ethiopia, he said, will continue to pursue the matter through dialogue and mutual benefit. His remarks framed the issue as a long-term national priority to be addressed through engagement with others.
The Prime Minister then widened the discussion to the transport connections required across the continent. Reliable roads and efficient corridors, he argued, link producers with markets while also bringing benefits to communities along their routes.
Such connections become increasingly important as African countries seek to expand trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
For smaller traders, the cost and complexity of crossing borders can determine whether they participate in formal markets. Making those crossings simpler and more affordable can help bring more traders into the formal economy, while effective enforcement can disrupt illicit networks that finance violence.
The two dimensions—strategic access to international routes and practical movement across African borders—point to the importance of connectivity in economic life and security.
Transport infrastructure does not serve its full purpose when goods cannot move efficiently, traders face unnecessary barriers or the benefits bypass communities along the way.
Abiy’s remarks placed dialogue, mutual benefit and dependable corridors at the center of the discussion, linking Ethiopia’s sea-access priority with a wider continental interest in connecting producers, traders and markets.