Ethiopia has deployed significant military forces along its borders with Eritrea, Djibouti, and Somalia as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed intensifies his government's campaign to secure direct access to the sea, according to reports from the region.
The troop movements come more than a year after Abiy announced Ethiopia would seek a port agreement with neighboring states, triggering diplomatic tensions across the Horn of Africa. The landlocked nation of 130 million people lost its coastline when Eritrea gained independence in 1993, forcing Ethiopia to rely on Djibouti's port for over 95% of its trade.
"Ethiopia has legitimate economic interests in accessing the sea," says Dr. Mekonnen Firew, a political analyst at Addis Ababa University. "But the question is whether those interests will be pursued through negotiation or intimidation. Right now, our neighbors are seeing military buildup, not diplomatic outreach."
Regional observers note the timing coincides with global power shifts, as territorial disputes gain new prominence worldwide. Somalia has repeatedly rejected any Ethiopian claims to its territory, while Eritrea maintains a heavily militarized border following the devastating 1998-2000 war between the two nations.
The port access issue has already damaged Ethiopia's relationship with Somalia, which recalled its ambassador to Addis Ababa last year after Abiy signed a controversial memorandum of understanding with the breakaway region of Somaliland. That deal, which considers illegal, would grant sea access in exchange for potential recognition of 's independence.

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