Nile and Red Sea Forum Pledges to Advance Ethiopia’s National Interests Through Research and Diplomacy

Addis Ababa, November 14, 2026 (FMC) – The Nile and Red Sea Forum has pledged to work through research and diplomacy to safeguard Ethiopia’s national interests concerning the Nile River and the Red Sea, placing the country’s strategic priorities at the centre of its institutional mission.

Established by scholars drawn from diverse professional disciplines, the Forum outlined its forthcoming activities following its formal legal recognition as a civil society organization in Ethiopia.

Forum Chairperson Abebe Gemechu (PhD) stated that the institution was established to advance Ethiopia’s national interests in relation to the two strategic waterways through research-based initiatives and professional expertise.

He recalled that the Forum had previously organized discussion platforms focusing on the Abbay River and the Red Sea, and noted that its formal recognition now provides an institutional foundation for expanding its work.

The Forum will provide professional support by grounding Ethiopia’s historical, legal, geographical and geopolitical rights in scientific studies and research. It will also work to advance the country’s pursuit of sea access and safeguard its strategic interests in the Red Sea and the Abbay River.

Forum Chief Executive Officer Solomon Tefera emphasized that the issues surrounding the two waterways are not matters of luxury for Ethiopia, but fundamental pillars of its national survival, economic security and geopolitical security.

He explained that the Forum was established to enable scholars to organize around knowledge and research and fulfil their national responsibility through informed and coordinated contributions.

The institution will support the government’s strategy concerning the Abbay River and the Red Sea through research, studies and policy dialogue, with the objective of safeguarding Ethiopia’s enduring national interests.

Tefera further underscored that Ethiopia’s quest for sea access is a strategic matter of national survival. One of the Forum’s central objectives, he stated, is to present to the international community, backed by legal, historical and economic evidence, the multifaceted pressures arising from the country’s landlocked status.

The Forum will also work to ensure that the Abbay River and Red Sea issues serve as foundations for regional cooperation, integration and shared development rather than competition.

Beyond research and policy engagement, the Forum plans to promote public awareness through educational institutions, nurture a generation that recognizes these matters as its own national concern, and recognize institutions and individuals who have made significant contributions to the field.

It will further work to position Ethiopia as a national and regional centre for water research and studies, strengthen people-to-people relations and economic integration among Horn of Africa countries, and address professional capacity gaps in the sector through cooperation with governmental and non-governmental organizations.