Israel’s ambassador to Ethiopia, Avraham Neguse, announced his country’s support for Addis Ababa’s efforts to secure maritime access to the Red Sea, saying that strengthening Ethiopia’s capabilities and achieving stability in the region served a shared interest. The statement drew criticism from two Egyptian military experts, who warned of the repercussions of any military arrangements for security in the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa.
Egyptian warning over a possible security alliance
Major General Wail Rabie, a specialist in regional and Israeli affairs, said the two sides were seeking to achieve mutual objectives, suggesting that a political trade-off may be underway involving Israeli support for Ethiopia obtaining maritime access in exchange for an Ethiopian position supporting Israel on the issue of Somaliland. He said this could pave the way for a trilateral security and political alliance at the southern entrance to the Red Sea.
Rabie said Egypt’s position distinguished between Ethiopia, as a landlocked country, obtaining maritime access for commercial use and seeking access for military purposes, stressing Cairo’s rejection of the latter possibility. He warned that landlocked countries adopting a policy of demanding military access points could threaten security and stability on the African continent.
Rabie also described Israeli moves in the Horn of Africa and the southern Red Sea as linked to disagreements with Egypt over the Palestinian issue and opposition to the displacement of Palestinians. He referred to circulating reports of possible Israeli financial support for new Ethiopian dams, saying the matter required monitoring because of its potential impact on Egyptian interests.
Egyptian emphasis on the official nature of the support
For his part, Egyptian military and strategic expert Major General Ayman Abdel Mohsen said the ambassador’s statement represented official confirmation of support for Ethiopia’s efforts to obtain ports on the Red Sea. He said the support could be part of a political trade-off linked to a possible Israeli presence in or recognition of Somaliland.
Abdel Mohsen stressed that Egypt’s view considered Red Sea security and governance the responsibility of the states bordering it, given the waterway’s connection to Arab and African national security.
He warned that moves linked to an Ethiopian access point could increase tensions and instability in the Horn of Africa.
