Former Ivorian PM Backs #Ethiopia’s Red Sea Access Bid, Advocates Mutually Acceptable Regional Solutions

Addis Ababa, November 12, 2026 (FMC) – Former Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire and President of the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), Pascal Affi N’Guessan, has described Ethiopia’s aspiration to secure sovereign access to the sea as legitimate, expressing hope that the matter will be resolved through dialogue and compromises acceptable to all parties.

Speaking in an interview with local media in Addis Ababa, Affi N’Guessan recognized Ethiopia’s ambition and stressed the importance of finding solutions that would enable all parties concerned to move forward.

“I believe that the ambition of Ethiopia is legitimate, and we hope that these questions will find solutions acceptable for all parties, through good compromises that allow everyone to recognize that this is the path that enables the entire region to move forward,” he stated.

He emphasized that such matters require the capacity for dialogue and foresight, noting that geopolitical questions should be approached with a broader appreciation of the future.

“These are geopolitical questions of great importance, which necessitate capacities for dialogue and anticipation,” he said.

Affi N’Guessan further noted that issues involving identity, territory and geopolitics cannot be resolved unless the parties involved demonstrate a higher appreciation of the future and look beyond immediate considerations.

He also underscored the importance of African unity and shared development, stating that the continent can advance only through unity in ideas and the sharing of resources and opportunities, as reported by local news agency ENA.

“Africa can only develop in unity, and unity must also be unity in ideas, in the sharing of things,” he remarked, reiterating his belief that Ethiopia’s aspiration is legitimate and expressing hope for an outcome based on good compromises that would allow the entire region to advance.

His remarks come as Ethiopia continues to pursue permanent access to the Red Sea, maintaining that its landlocked status should not remain an enduring constraint on national development.

In his recent remarks, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has described his country’s pursuit of Red Sea access as an overdue national aspiration, stressing that the country’s present geographical condition should not be passed on to future generations.

Ethiopia’s historical connections to the Red Sea include its former administration of the ports of Massawa and Assab and its naval capabilities before Eritrea’s independence.

Affi N’Guessan served as Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire from 2000 to 2003.