ADDIS ABABA, (HAN) — Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has reiterated that his landlocked nation must secure access to the sea, stressing that the goal will not be achieved through appeals or requests but through effort, a clear strategy and adherence to the law.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Calub natural gas project in Ethiopia’s Somali region, Abiy said the country would secure its own port facilities and achieve its national ambitions through hard work.
“As the saying goes, ‘vision is belief.’ We have completed this project as promised before parliament reconvened,” he said, according to the Addis Standard. He urged Ethiopians — particularly those he described as “kept in the dark” — to recognize the country’s progress. “With full confidence, I tell you, no one can stop us,” he added.
Ethiopia, which has no coastline, relies heavily on its neighbors’ ports for trade. Abiy has previously argued that access to a port, along with a possible naval base, is essential for the nation’s economic and security interests.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate underscored that Ethiopia’s determination to secure port access, maintain peace and achieve development would depend on national unity and collective effort, not on “begging.”
“The desires of our people will only be realized through joint struggle, not through requests,” he said, stressing that no nation would easily hand Ethiopia what it “deserves.”
Abiy described the Calub gas project as a symbol of Ethiopia’s self-reliance and vision for a shared future.
Earlier this year, Ethiopia struck a deal with Somaliland to gain access to the sea. The agreement, however, provoked a sharp backlash from Somalia’s federal government, which accused Addis Ababa of violating its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The diplomatic rift prompted Turkey to step in, urging respect for stability and order in the Horn of Africa.
