Access to the sea – an issue that will not go away!
By Tsehaye Demeke
July 9, 2004

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If you have noticed, whenever there is a debate concerning the border issue particularly Asseb and the Red Sea Coastal area, EPLF & TPLF officials get nasty. They know a horrible crime has been committed against Ethiopia, a tragic mistake and a permanent source of instability in the region.

The government of Eritrea publicly downplayed the importance of Asseb to the stability of the region and, as such, they brainwashed the general population who, for economic reasons, desperately want the normalization of relations between the two countries to start as soon as possible.

To this day Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and his supporters believe modern Ethiopia does not need its own port or an independent outlet to the sea and adamantly object to Ethiopia’s rightful ownership of the Port of Assab. Instead their argument is focused on Badme.

The consensus among Ethiopians is to leave the port issue until a patriotic government takes over in Ethiopia. But in my view it is much more important to work on the issue now than wait until a new government which stands for the interest of Ethiopia takes office. Opposition parties and ordinary Ethiopians have to work hard to inform our uncompromising stand in the issue of access to the sea to the confused people of Eritrea and the rest of the world.

Scholars, legal experts and historians from around the world have said permanent peace in the region is unthinkable with out giving Ethiopia an independent outlet to the sea. Ethiopians unanimously agreed to that assessment. To shut off Ethiopia (currently with a population of 67 million and in 25 years to be 100+ million) from the international water is a hazardous proposition that can only be compared to a major crime as the holocaust. World powers who advocate for peace at the price of access to the sea are not honest.

The Afar Red Sea Coastal area is the only avenue to permanent peace between the two nations. Period.

As the post Melese government is in the horizon, it is crucial Ertireans be realistic and honest to themselves and search for a permanent peaceful means to the border crisis in the Horn.

In my opinion the Eritrean people by now know prosperity and economical development cannot be achieved by intimidation & confrontation with neighboring countries.

For Eritrea to hang on to the port of Asseb illegally will simply prolong the suffering of its people.
“Mr. Speaker, give us 10 years and you will see a country in Africa that resembles a South East Asian country that of Singapore” said EPLF representative in the 1991 congressional hearing in Washington. It is 13 years and we are counting and Eritrea is a bad example of a mini state created by petro dollars for a hidden political agenda in the region.

As Melese in his last leg to exit the messy political drama of his own creation, there is no doubt Issias will follow suit as the struggle against oppression picks momentum in Ethiopia & Eritrea.

It is our hope that a visionary Eritrean government will not repeat the deadly crime of shutting off Ethiopia from the international waters, as it will be against its own existence. Letting 67 million people have an access corridor to the sea will be a venue to a viable peace to the region. Eritrea will be better off economically and politically by returning the port of Asseb to its legitimate owner Ethiopia. A relationship between Canada & USA can be a good example to follow. The assumption of Eritrea renting the port of Asseb to Ethiopia to extract revenue is absurd. Ethiopians are not that foolish.

It is time for coalition of the Ethiopian opposition political parties and their counter parts in Eritrea to start a visionary dialogue to bring durable peace in the region. For the good of the two brotherly & sisterly people, dialogue must start as soon as possible.