Ethiopia has renewed its criticism of Egypt and Eritrea, coinciding with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki’s visit to Cairo and his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, accusing both countries of undermining regional stability.
The Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) published an article on Sunday accusing Eritrea of moving closer to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the militant group Al-Shabaab in Somalia. It also said Ethiopia was concerned about Egypt’s efforts to “advance its interests in the Horn of Africa” amid the long-running dispute between the two countries over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and wider geopolitical competition in the Red Sea region.
According to the report, relations between Ethiopia and Egypt have evolved beyond a dispute over Nile River waters and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam into a broader geopolitical struggle centred on influence, power and the future balance of power in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.
The report said Egypt has expanded its strategic engagement in the Horn of Africa, describing its growing military, diplomatic and security partnerships with Somalia and Eritrea as part of a wider effort to contain Ethiopia’s rise as a major regional power.
While Eritrea, the Red Sea coastal state, accuses Ethiopia of provoking tensions and “secretly plotting” a new war as part of its efforts to gain sea access, Addis Ababa has made similar accusations against Asmara, claiming it seeks to fuel further internal conflicts in Ethiopia.
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