Key Takeaways:

• Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed asserts no intention for war with Eritrea over Red Sea access.
• Fears of conflict have escalated after military mobilizations by Eritrea and troop movements from Ethiopia.
• Abiy emphasizes the need for diplomacy while navigating historical tensions with Eritrea.

Amid rising concerns about potential conflict, Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced on Thursday that his government would not engage in war with Eritrea for access to the Red Sea. Despite the critical nature of maritime access for landlocked Ethiopia, he insisted on peaceful negotiation rather than military options. "Ethiopia does not have any intention of engaging in conflict with Eritrea for the purpose of gaining access to the sea," he stated.

The declaration comes in the wake of Eritrea's nationwide military mobilization and rising troop movements towards the border by Ethiopian forces, generating fears of a renewed conflict between the neighbors, which has a complex and often contentious history. According to Reuters, renewed hostilities could endanger the fragile peace established after a historic rapprochement that earned Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019.

In his remarks, Abiy highlighted the importance of addressing the issue of Red Sea access through "mutual benefit" and acknowledged the significance of diplomacy. He elaborated, "What the Eritrean people need is development, not conflict," and stressed that discussions regarding access should not be deemed taboo.

Concerns about the potential for a humanitarian disaster loom large over the region, which is already reeling from the fallout of conflicts in neighboring Sudan. The relationship between Ethiopia and Eritrea underwent a transformation in 2018 when Abiy became prime minister, but tensions resurfaced after Eritrea was excluded from peace negotiations related to the Tigray civil war that concluded in 2022. According to Al Jazeera, the implications of this exclusion have had profound impacts on internal politics within Tigray, leading to accusations of collusion and political strife.

As Ethiopia prepares for a general election in 2026, Abiy confirmed in parliament that the interim administration governing Tigray would remain in place for another year, while modifications are considered, though details on leadership changes remain unspecified. "In line with the Pretoria agreement, the interim administration will continue until the next election," he noted, ensuring a focus on stability while navigating fraught relations with Eritrea and internal factions.

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