How will landlocked Ethiopia get direct access to a port?

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Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed says the high costs of relying on the country’s neighbours for access to ports are unsustainable.

Ethiopia has been landlocked since Eritrea gained its independence in 1993.

For 30 years it’s been dependent on its neighbours – especially Djibouti – for access to ports and international shipping routes.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed says the high costs are unsustainable.

He’s reportedly said that Ethiopia will secure direct access to a port – peacefully or, if necessary, by force.

What does he mean? And what are the implications for neighbouring nations?

Presenter: Adrian Finighan

Guests:

Kemal Hashi Mohamoud – Member of the Ethiopian Parliament

Martin Plaut – Journalist specialising in the Horn of Africa and a fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London

Kwaku Nuamah – Senior lecturer and chairman of the International Peace and Conflict Resolution Program at American University

Occasional Digest