05/07/2025
As an Eritrean, I strongly reject any claim that undermines Eritrea’s internationally recognized sovereignty over its Red Sea coastline, including the port city of Assab. The suggestion that Assab or any part of Eritrea’s coastline belongs to Ethiopia or the Afar in Ethiopia is not only historically inaccurate, but also politically motivated and legally baseless.
The Red Sea is a vital part of Eritrean identity, heritage, and economy. Eritreans including Afar Eritreans have long inhabited, protected, and relied on this coastline. Any attempt to deny this reality is an affront to the sacrifices made by generations of Eritreans. Efforts to rewrite history or fabricate ancestral entitlement for political purposes only serve to destabilize the region and create unnecessary tension between neighboring peoples who should be working toward peace, not division.
To clarify the truth, here are the undeniable facts:
1. Eritrea’s borders were drawn and internationally recognized in 1993, following a long and legitimate struggle for independence.
2. Assab is an Eritrean city, part of a sovereign nation-state that exists independently of any Ethiopian territorial claims or historical revisionism.
3. The Afar people live in both Eritrea and Ethiopia but citizenship, national borders, and sovereignty are determined by legal and political realities, not by selective ethnic narratives.
These are not just technicalities they are foundational truths grounded in international law and historical fact. Eritreans, including Afar Eritreans, are proud custodians of this land and sea not because of slogans, but because of history, sacrifice, and legitimacy.
Therefore, it is deeply concerning that some voices continue to express ambitions to “own” the Red Sea. They would do well to study history instead of blindly following false propaganda. This kind of rhetoric is not only misleading it is dangerous. Romanticizing territorial claims without understanding the facts only promotes misinformation, division, and potential conflict.
In the broader context, it is clear that this speech reflects an outdated Ethiopian chauvinist legacy it does not represent the Afar people as a whole, especially not the Afar who are proud citizens of Eritrea and who have peacefully coexisted with all Eritrean communities for generations.
Looking ahead, one thing must remain crystal clear: it is time to abandon outdated imperial fantasies and focus instead on mutual respect, regional cooperation, and the rule of law. Sovereignty is not negotiable.
By kedija omer
