PM Abiy Ahmed’s recent assertion regarding Ethiopia’s determination to secure sea access by any means necessary has sparked apprehension, particularly among the Amhara people. This statement, with its implicit threat towards Eritrea, casts a shadow of potential conflict.
Amhara’s involvement in this sea access pursuit is fraught with peril. Military action against Eritrea would not only breach international law but also destabilize the Horn of Africa, a region already plagued by conflicts and humanitarian crises.
The Amhara people, inhabiting the border region with Eritrea, would be the first to suffer the consequences of any conflict. They have already endured immense hardship due to the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia, with widespread destruction and displacement. Entangling Amhara in another conflict would only compound their misery.
Ethiopia should pursue peaceful avenues for sea access. Engaging in diplomatic talks with Eritrea for port usage or investing in Ethiopia’s own Red Sea ports are far more sensible options than resorting to war.
The Amhara and Eritrean people have a long history of coexistence. Involving Amhara in a conflict that does not serve their interests would be a grave mistake. PM Abiy Ahmed should prioritize diplomacy to resolve Ethiopia’s sea access issue and refrain from dragging Amhara into his war rhetoric.
Moreover, the Amhara people have no animosity towards Eritreans. A war with Eritrea would be a costly distraction from Ethiopia’s more pressing issues, such as the Tigray conflict and the country’s economic struggles. Amhara’s involvement would only further destabilize the Horn of Africa.
The Amhara people should make their voices heard and urge PM Abiy Ahmed to seek peaceful solutions to Ethiopia’s sea access challenge. They should categorically reject any war with Eritrea, safeguarding their own interests and promoting regional peace.
Additionally, the international community would likely condemn any military action against Eritrea, potentially leading to sanctions or other punitive measures against Ethiopia. This could further isolate the country and exacerbate its economic woes.
Crucially, the seaport agenda appears to be a diversionary tactic by the Ethiopian government to deflect attention from the atrocities it is perpetrating in the Amhara region. The Amhara people are fighting for their very survival against the Abiy regime, making the seaport issue a secondary concern at best.
The Amhara people should not be pawns in the Ethiopian government’s political games. Their primary focus should be on protecting their own lives and livelihoods, not on pursuing a seaport that offers little tangible benefit to them.
The seaport agenda is a smokescreen, a distraction from the real issues facing the Amhara people. It is a dangerous distraction that could lead to further bloodshed and instability. The Amhara people should reject this agenda and focus on their own survival and well-being.
I wish reports like this that attaches video clip would come with English subtitles. Anyway, I had watched this presentation by the PM both in English and Oromiffaa I did not find any statement in which he advocated for war in order to appropriate a seaport. Talking about options naturally existing or will be existing does not mean a call for war. I can tell you this with all confidence I can muster. The two brotherly and sisterly peoples of Eritrea and Ethiopia have already made up their mind. From here on to eternity they will never go to war as they had done during 1998-2002 for this or that stupid reason. I am bullish about it. They will instead come into the fold where they will live in peace and harmony sharing what Allah blessed them with. The same with the upright people of Somalia and Djibouti.
I have said this umpteen times in the past. There is one elephant in the room for Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and Djibouti that is staring down on them right now. In all these countries the population is growing at a blinding speed. It is exploding. They better start shaping up now otherwise they will be heading to life ending doomsday. They ought to start managing it now. Now, some of you may try to accost me that population growth control is against the Holy Scriptures of both Abrahamic religions. Then I will pose this question you will never be able to correctly answer. Make that: When and where did Our Creator tell/order humans to OVERPOPULATE the earth? The Almighty Our Creator had instructed the first humans to go out and populate the good earth and that does not overpopulate it by any imagination. So don’t you dare tell me it was/is Our Creator’s wishes for us to overpopulate this good earth. You see, Allah had given us the biggest brain in the Animal kingdom for good reason: to think it through! Of course, some of us always use it to come up with things out of His ways!
I remember when I was a young boy when grown-ups among my Itu clan used to incite two muscled up bulls into a fight. They blew sounds of whistles and cries specially written for such purpose. In just a few seconds the bulls will start scratching the ground one bull daring the other to a fight. Then they will lock horns and go at it. Those dardaraas stood just close-by making sure the warring bulls will not go too far to mortally goring each other. Usually, one will overcome the other and chase the other away. The outcome of such fight would decide who is the new sheriff in charge(ownership) of the cows. Some of us now are trying to be some of those bullfight mongering grown-ups by twisting what was said or inventing inciting news to bring those brotherly peoples of Eritrea and Ethiopia to blows. That ain’t gonna happen. Both peoples know better now than ever what peaceful coexistence can muster for both of them.
I can tell you this about those Almighty Blessed people that produced us all. Our Good Lord The Creator has entrusted them with the well-being and lives of more than 150 million of His people who live in The Sudan and Egypt since the antiquities and they have kept their word by not adversely disrupting the flow of water that reached its final destination of the Mediterranean Sea. They are Almighty fearing people who never contemplated of harming their neighbors with water that originate inside their territory. These are the legendary and upright Ethiopians. Just look at how they treat their brothers and sisters in Somalia, Djibouti, Kenya and South Sudan. I know for fact where that great Wabi Shabale originates. It is right there in my Itu clan’s backyard. Dawa, Ganaale, Omo, Baro and hundreds of sizeable streams you name it which feed another more than 150 million people.
All these life sustaining blessings were gifted by none other than Our Creator himself with eternal trust in our people and our forefathers never walked over that trust. There should never be any doubt about that. This one I did not make it up. Our old country is known as the Roof of Africa. So what happens to rainwater after it falls on any roof? It flows and rushes down to the ground in many directions, right? It rushes into Sudan all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. It rushes all the way to the Indian Ocean thru Somalia. It rushes thru South Sudan and all the way to The White Nile. It rushes through the southern part of the country into the Kenyan side of Lake Turkana. Looking north we can mention the honors of Atbarah and Tekeze rivers. They both originate rushing off the Roof of Africa and there is only one Roof of Africa called Ethiopia. I rest my case.’
Having said that, I don’t see being land-locked is the end of the world for such countries. There are more than 40 countries that are land locked for a long time and some of them are for centuries. Some of them are lucky enough to have their forbearers who had inked an eternal lease thru waterways and free ports. There is no navigable river or canal that stretches from inside Ethiopia to the Red Sea or Indian Ocean. Yes, we can talk about the history of that region from centuries ago but there are no treaties from those times. There were just a number of empires that came and went without leaving any agreements or leases that entitles to outlets on the Red Sea or Indian Ocean. There is none I am aware of. What those empires left behind for us is just something to look back on and a mountain of stubbornness. There are no historical and still binding treaties. What we have in front of us now is a sovereign state called Djibouti with its own internationally recognized boundaries in seashores on Bab-el-Mandeb. What we have now is a sovereign country called Eritrea with its own internationally recognized boundaries and seashores on the Red Sea. What we have now is a nation called Somalia with its own international recognized boundaries and seashores on the Indian Ocean. Once this etched on stones fact sunk in us, then we have to make it known that Wabi Shabale, Dawa, Ganaale, Atbarah and Tekeze rivers all originate in Ethiopia. So, the wise and the levelheaded should take it from here. With peace and stability, it has been said ad nauseam by experts that The Horn of Africa has the potential to be another Western Europe but unlike Europe with untapped natural resources and a combined young population close to 150 million. Phew! I think I got you tied here for a while. I told you this is what you get from a beyond-repair Afro-Ethio Centric junkie!!!! I’m gonna leave it there!!!