Ethiopia has warned that growing militarization of the Red Sea, renewed attacks on commercial shipping and competition among foreign powers are intensifying security risks across the Horn of Africa, calling for broader regional cooperation to protect maritime trade and address interconnected conflicts.
Speaking at the 12th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa in Bahir Dar on 23 October, National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) Director General Redwan Hussein said the strategic importance of the Red Sea and the region’s natural resources had increasingly exposed the Horn to geopolitical rivalries and external interference.
“The security of the Red Sea could not be left solely to the stewardship and guardianship of a few littoral states,” Redwan said during a dialogue with special envoys, calling for collective action involving regional governments and international partners.
His remarks come as renewed attacks on commercial vessels around the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait continue to raise concerns about maritime security and international trade. The strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and is a critical passage for shipping between Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
According to reports by Chimpreports, POA and the Ethiopian News Agency, Redwan argued that the Horn’s strategic location, mineral resources, agricultural potential and water resources had made it increasingly vulnerable to competition among global and regional powers. He also cited historical grievances, resource disputes, internal conflicts and extremist threats as obstacles to regional stability.
Ethiopia’s concerns extend beyond maritime security. As a landlocked country that lost its coastline following Eritrea’s independence in 1993, Ethiopia relies heavily on Djibouti’s ports for international trade. Disruptions to Red Sea shipping can increase transport costs and delivery times, affecting access to fuel, machinery and other imports. The country’s pursuit of maritime access has also strained relations with neighbouring Somalia and Eritrea, adding another layer to an already complex regional security landscape.
Interconnected crises
United Nations Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Guang Cong warned that the region’s security challenges were increasingly interconnected, with disruptions to Red Sea navigation overlapping with Sudan’s war, political instability in Somalia and South Sudan, and tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Cong called for a comprehensive regional approach to address the crises rather than treating them as separate challenges.
European envoys also warned of the broader economic consequences of maritime insecurity. Germany’s Ambassador Heiko Nitzschke cautioned that threats to the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb could drive up energy prices and disrupt international trade, while France’s Special Envoy Frédéric Clavier emphasized dialogue, mediation, respect for international law and state sovereignty over military solutions.
The discussions also addressed Sudan’s conflict. The United Nations secretary-general’s personal envoy for Sudan, Pekka Haavisto, said he had held separate consultations with Sudanese political forces in an effort to narrow divisions and advance a resolution to the crisis.
The warnings come as the Horn of Africa faces overlapping conflicts and diplomatic tensions, including Sudan’s civil war, instability in Somalia and strained relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The region’s proximity to major maritime routes has further heightened its strategic significance and exposure to external competition.
Redwan reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to regional peace and economic integration, expressing hope that the forum would produce practical recommendations to strengthen cooperation among regional and continental institutions.
The 12th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa is being held in Bahir Dar from 23 to 25 October 2026 under the theme “Pathways to Peace in Africa: Economic Sovereignty and Geopolitical Transformation.” As Addis Standard reported in October 2025, the forum returned after a two-year delay linked to regional insecurity. Organized by the Institute for Peace and Security Studies at Addis Ababa University, the annual gathering seeks to promote African-led responses to the continent’s peace and security challenges.
