Ethiopia leader says won't invade neighbouring Eritrea

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. [File, Courtesy]

Ethiopia's leader vowed on Thursday not to invade Eritrea despite its long-standing desire for access to the sea and mounting tensions in a restive border region.

The Horn of Africa neighbours have often been fierce foes since Eritrea gained independence in 1993.

They signed a peace deal in 2018 shortly after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took power, but relations have again sunk in part over his ambitions for landlocked Ethiopia to gain sea access.

That has angered Eritrea, which has accused Ethiopia of eyeing its port at Assab.

"There are fears that Ethiopia and Eritrea could go to war over access to the sea. But I want to assure you that Ethiopia will not invade Eritrea to get access to the Red Sea," Abiy said in a speech to parliament.

However, he reiterated the need for Ethiopia to have ocean access.

"We will once again insist on an amicable solution to our quest for access to the sea," he said.

Asmara urged the international community earlier this week to push Addis Ababa to respect "the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbours".

Eritrea supported Abiy's forces during a brutal civil war in the Tigray region of Ethiopia between 2020 and 2022.

Infighting within the Tigrayan political elite in recent weeks has stoked fears of fresh violence in the region, with analysts fearing Eritrea could exploit the unrest.

Abiy directly addressed the recent unrest in Tigray for the first time, saying he believed the situation "will be resolved shortly.

"We are talking to all relevant bodies in Tigray and will announce this soon," he said, without giving further details.

The current tensions in Tigray stem from an internal power struggle between Getachew Reda, head of the government-approved interim administration, and Debretsion Gebremichael, head of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

Abiy expressed support for Getachew but said the Tigray administration could see a reshuffle.

"There may be changes in the administrators and structures," he said, again without further details.

Clashes have broken out in parts of the region, with armed Debretsion supporters seizing municipalities.

The tension has alarmed locals, who fear a return to the devastating conflict years which saw thousands killed.