Why Is Landlocked Ethiopia at the Table on Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Security?

Nairobi (WDN) — Somalia, Ethiopia, Yemen and Djibouti have held a two-day meeting in Nairobi focused on strengthening maritime security across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, a strategic corridor vital to regional and global trade.

The meeting, organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) with support from the European Union, INTERPOL, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and IGAD, addressed piracy, illegal fishing, human trafficking, migrant smuggling and drug trafficking, as well as the need for greater intelligence-sharing and coordination among regional security agencies. But the participation of Ethiopia—a landlocked country—stands out.

Reports indicate that Eritrea declined to attend, objecting to Ethiopia’s participation which implied that Ethiopia was being considered among the Red Sea countries, while Somalia attended the meeting.

Addis Ababa argues that maritime security is directly connected to its economic survival. The overwhelming majority of Ethiopia’s international trade depends on access through Djibouti’s ports, meaning instability in the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden can raise transport and insurance costs, disrupt supply chains and delay critical imports and exports.