PM Security Advisor Says Ethiopia’s Sovereign Access to Sea Boosts Integration, Security

Addis ababa: Ethiopia's sovereign access to the sea would foster economic, political, and security cooperation in the region, Kenea Yadeta, Security Advisor to the Prime Minister with the rank of State Minister, told ENA.According to Ethiopian News Agency, Ethiopia's quest for access to the sea is, first and foremost, a matter of sovereignty. Kenea emphasized that Ethiopia has already securitized the issue of lacking sea access, underlining that it holds historical and legal grounds to pursue the route to the sea."Access to sea, in the Ethiopian context, is fundamentally an issue of sovereignty. And the country in fact has all the historical and legal justification to sovereign access to sea," he asserted. The Advisor added that the issue has increasingly gained domestic acceptability while gaining more recognition at the international level.Kenea noted that the campaign for access to the sea has unified Ethiopians, irrespective of political affiliation or religious differences. He described Ethiopia as an anchoring state in the region, playing a significant role in regional economic growth, integration, security, and stability.He highlighted that the issue of sovereign access to the sea extends beyond internal considerations, contributing to broader regional and neighbor-to-neighbor integration, including Ethiopia's ties with surrounding countries. "The issue of access to sea has even to go beyond domestic needs, it has a big implication on economic, political and social integration in the region," Kenea remarked.Highlighting the interconnected nature of security, Kenea said stability in Ethiopia directly affects neighboring countries, and issues in regions such as Somalia and Sudan can also impact Ethiopia's peace and security, illustrating what he described as a security complex.Under this perspective, Ethiopia supports security cooperation and connectivity, and sovereign sea access to Ethiopia would bring economic, political, and security benefits across the region. The Advisor pointed out that the country's claim is backed by historical and legal justification as well as a population of over 130 million people; achieving sovereign access to sea would influence the political, social, and security environment across the region."If Ethiopia gets sovereign access to sea in one way or another, this will have positive impact on the political, social and security of the Horn of Africa," Kenea noted. He underscored that Ethiopia's sovereign presence at the sea would contribute positively to regional peace and security, should the country secure the access it seeks.