Dear His Excellency Prime Minister @AbiyAhmedAli
I do consider myself to be a personal friend but your latest utterances have come as unexpected surprises to me, your push to acquire a sea port with unfettered access to the Red Sea, by force if necessary, seems misplaced. I believe that such a statement is harmful and I would even urge you to reconsider your position.
Remember that your new found friends—the Americans—promise heaven when pursuing their interests. You know better than anyone else the enormous empty promises made to the TPLF leaderships of the yesteryears. On the other side of the world in the Ukraine, one Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been used to single handedly run his country to the ground fighting a proxy war for them and today Ukraine we knew is gone forever.
I would be utterly devastated were something similar to happen in Ethiopia and for it to become a shell of its former self under the watch of my Cushitic cousin, His Excellency Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Like the proverbial returning bird that picks up a flaming twig on the way only to end up setting its nest on fire, do not bring with you a flaming twig to the Horn of Africa my brother.
The Americans are well known to have every leader from the developing world become unsovereign with their corrupting influence. One only needs to look at the historical examples of such men; Marcos from the Philippines, Somoza of Nicaragua, The Shah of Iran, Mobutu of Zaire, Gaddafi of Libya, Suharto of Indonesia as well as Haile Selassie of Ethiopia.
Do I need to remind you how Saddam Hussein was incentivized to attack Iran and occupy Kuwait only to be later hanged after a forceful overthrow?
Ethiopia’s aggressive pursuit of a seaport has the potential to antagonize neighboring countries, particularly Eritrea, Somalia, and Djibouti, who are all on the Red Sea. This could lead to renewed conflicts and undermine the fragile peace that prevails in the region.
It is crucial for Ethiopia to address these pressing challenges as it prioritizes addressing the many challenges at home.
I would reiterate my call to his excellency Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and his administration to tone down on the jingoistic rhetoric, engage in genuine reconciliation with Ethiopia’s neighbors, and work with them to develop a regional plan for an access to the sea, not forceful occupation.