Ethiopia: Ethiopia-Eritrea Tensions Over Red Sea Port Have Turned the Tigray Peace Deal Into a Political Weapon

The peace agreement signed in November 2022 between the Ethiopian federal government and Tigray regional government forces aimed to end the large-scale war and address disputes over territory and political representation. However, the implementation of the Pretoria Agreement has been selective and incomplete. Disarmament has not been fully carried out, foreign and non-federal forces have not completely withdrawn from Tigray, and Western Tigray has not been returned to Tigrayan administration.

The main focus of these issues is the rivalry between Ethiopia and Eritrea over access to the Red Sea. Ethiopia's landlocked status since 1993 has made Assab, a port in Eritrea's southern Red Sea region, a contentious issue. The TPLF has been blamed for Ethiopia's lack of sea access, while Eritrea views control of the coastline as part of its independence.

These tensions have led to a situation where the conflict consolidation involves Ethiopia, Tigray, and Eritrea, with each party using the Pretoria Agreement to their advantage. The Ethiopian government has presented the TPLF as an Eritrean partner, which allows them to defend their failure to fully implement the agreement and rally domestic support.

This has resulted in an informal tactical alignment between the TPLF and Eritrea, with each side accusing the other of foreign backing. The Ethiopian government's strategy is to portray resistance to disarmament as a foreign-backed threat, which helps them maintain control and rally support around national unity and sovereignty.