“Ethiopian Soldiers Happy About Red Sea Question,” Statement

“Ready to Sacrifice for it”

Borkena 

Toronto  – A press release  the Ethiopian Defense Force shared on its official social media page says “Ethiopian soldiers” are happy that the Red Sea issue is raised at the International stage. 

Entitled “We very well know for our Ethiopia for whom we willingly die,” the statement said that Ethiopian soldiers do not hesitate to pay sacrifice to ensure the national interest of Ethiopia. 

Furthermore, it said “… we Ethiopian soldiers are elated greatly that the Red Sea question is openly presented on the international stage.”  

However, it did not elaborate when, where or how it was presented. It appears that it was making a reference to President Taye Atseek Selassies’ speech at the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York this week.  Taye made implicit and explicit remarks that access to the sea is an existential question to Ethiopia. 

The statement from the defense force said the issue of Assab and Red Sea has been a pain to Ethiopia for over thirty years, something that has reduced its story of greatness. 

It also denigrated those who are not subscribing to the view. ” Attempting to prattle that the Red Sea as well as the Assab issue is wrong through any lens is a logic that does not hold water other than being Banda [translates to collaborator to enemy force],” it is said. 

The ruling prosperity party has been attempting to bring the issue of recovering Ethiopia’s access to the Red Sea to the limelight. 

Eritrea sees the effort as a form of distraction to divert attention from multifaceted domestic crises including the bloody war in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. There are also activists who tend to see the rhetoric about Red Sea access in the same light. However, there are also voices, including from political quarters and individuals who are hostile to the ruling party, that the issue of Red Sea Access is a legitimate question. 

Within the Defense Force at least two military generals openly made claims about the Red Sea. One of the arguments Major General Teshome Gemechu raised is that Assab was an autonomous administration when the referendum for Eritrea was organized. Eritrea itself was an autonomous administration immediately before becoming an independent state.

Eritrea sees the move as a provocation and has recently been bringing the matter to the attention of the international community. And this week, the Eritrean Embassy in Addis Ababa shared a statement saying that Eritrea is ready to discuss access to the sea issue within the context that its sovereignty is observed.  No further detail was provided.  

__

Support Borkena  : https://borkena.com/subscribe-borkena/

Join our Telegram Channel : t.me/borkena

Like borkena on Facebook

To submit Press Release, send submission to info@borkena.com

Add your business to Ethiopian Business Listing / Ethiopian Business Directory  

Join the conversation. Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter)  @zborkena to get the latest Ethiopian News updates regularly. 

‎