Ethiopia Steps Up Global Diplomacy in Renewed Push for Red Sea Access, Ambassadors Say.
Ethiopia is intensifying its diplomatic outreach to build international support for its long-standing quest to secure reliable access to the sea, a priority that senior diplomats say has regained national urgency amid shifting political dynamics around the Horn of Africa.
In a series of coordinated statements, Ethiopian ambassadors posted across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe said the government is now mobilizing its entire diplomatic apparatus — including diaspora networks — to frame sea access as a matter of national survival and economic justice.
Rashid Mohammed, Ethiopia’s ambassador to Zimbabwe and representative to Mauritius, Zambia, and COMESA, said Ethiopia’s loss of direct access to the Red Sea was the result of what he called “an unjust political decision and conspiracy” that has undermined the country’s strategic and economic position for more than three decades.
For a nation of more than 120 million people with one of Africa’s largest economies, he said, remaining permanently landlocked is “neither sustainable nor consistent with international norms that support fair access to global trade routes.”
Rashid added that Ethiopia’s current approach is rooted in principles of mutual benefit, arguing that any negotiated arrangement for sea access would strengthen economic integration across the Horn of Africa and help stabilize a region where security, energy, and trade concerns are deeply intertwined.
Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Kuwait, Sied Muhumed, echoed that message, describing sea access as central to Ethiopia’s “national survival.” He said embassies are working to mobilize Ethiopians abroad to help raise global awareness through diplomatic engagement, public diplomacy, and digital platforms.
Ethiopia’s position, he emphasized, is based on internationally accepted frameworks that encourage negotiated solutions for landlocked countries.
Biruk Mekonnen, Ethiopia’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, highlighted the influential role of the Ethiopian diaspora in previous national campaigns, particularly during the international dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
He said similar advocacy is now essential to ensure policymakers and global media understand Ethiopia’s position on access to the Red Sea. From South Africa, Melaku Zeleke, a diplomat responsible for diaspora affairs, urged Ethiopian communities abroad to replicate past efforts.
He described the loss of sea access as the result of “illegal actions and misguided policies” and argued that the diaspora remains critical in shaping international perceptions of Ethiopia’s strategic needs.
The coordinated diplomatic push reflects Ethiopia’s growing concern about regional alignments and the evolving security landscape around the Red Sea.
It also signals Addis Ababa’s intent to place the issue firmly on the global agenda, even as neighboring states watch the campaign with increasing attention — and, in some cases, unease.
