Addis Ababa, March 23, 2025 (ENA)— Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s recent response about securing access to seaport should end all the war mongering propaganda about annexation and confrontation in the region, the American Political-Economic analyst Lawrence Freeman noted.

Recall that the premier told members of parliament on Thursday that Ethiopia's pursuit to the Red Sea will not drag the country into confrontation with neighboring nations.

He added that the quest for peaceful access to the sea is gaining significant international recognition.

Reiterating Ethiopia's commitment to peacefully secure maritime access, PM Abiy revealed that there is significant potential for collaboration and mutual benefit.

In a Zoom interview the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) conducted with Lawrence Freeman, the American analyst said the Prime Minister has made very clear that his intention is to have a peaceful dialogue with neighboring nations to secure the pathway for development of a port on the Red Sea.

“This is extremely important, because over the last few months, there have been a lot of war mongers saying incorrectly that Ethiopia was going to annex a section of land in Eritrea or Somalia, or steal a section of land.”

But, “I knew from knowing Ethiopia that this was not their intention.”

And now, the prime minister has made it very clear that he has no intention of using force, the analyst noted.

Freeman stressed that having a seaport for Ethiopia on the Red Sea is really a no-brainer. “It’s the ABCs of physical economy as Ethiopia has a sizable economy and population that will become an engine for economic growth of the East Africa region.”

Additional port would not only benefit Ethiopia, but would also bring in revenue and jobs for the entire region, the analyst said.

Thus, he stressed the need for ending such misleading rhetoric that escalates conflict in the Horn of Africa, and urged for seeking a realistic discussion about Ethiopia’s genuine demand for access to sea.

“I think the comments by the prime minister should end all the war mongering propaganda about annexation and stealing; and we should put on the table the realistic discussion of economic integration for the region,” Freeman underscored.

With respect to the war mongering propaganda about annexation spread in connection with neighboring Eritrea, Prime Minister Abiy has made it clear that Ethiopia does not have any intention of engaging in conflict with the country for the purpose of gaining access to the sea.

Ethiopia's desire is to engage in dialogue about this matter since access to sea is an existential matter to the country, the premier underlined.

Asked about this comment, Freeman said the escalation propaganda emanates from people who still live in the past.

“First of all, you have a lot of historical questions of conflicts, bloody conflicts between Ethiopia and Eritrea that go back decades. And unfortunately, people still live in the past of those conflicts, instead of looking at the potential of the future.”

As aptly put by PM Abiy, the future would be when Ethiopia’s desire for access to the Red Sea will be met and the region benefits.