Mmegi

Horn of Africa and the geopolitics of seaports

When Ethiopia’s Prime Minister revived his call for sea access in early 2024, regional headlines lit up overnight. It was not just about trade or logistics, at least not entirely. It reopened a decades-old wound, the kind that never really heals in the Horn of Africa: who controls the coast, and what that means for everyone else.

Thirty years following Eritrean independence, Ethiopia’s maritime ambition forced an old question back into view.

Will port infrastructure foster regional harmony or merely intensify tensions under the guise of economic development?

Editor's Comment
Consult, get buy-ins first for 6 to 6 policy, Hon Minister

While the minister is of the view that the proposal would have significant positive economic impact, the entertainment industry players believe otherwise. The issue has over the weeks become a hot potato. But what is of essence right now is that the country needs liberal ideas to move in the right direction While opening up the economy may sound quite interesting to the ear, rolling out extended trading hours through pilot programmes without...

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