Eritrean president warns of escalating tensions with Ethiopia over Red Sea access

— Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki told state television that Ethiopia’s Prosperity Party has effectively declared war on the Ethiopian people by pursuing access to the Red Sea, accusing outside actors of stoking the crisis.

In an interview broadcasted on Monday January 12, 2026, Isaias  framed the dispute as part of a broader contest over the Nile rather than a narrow Red Sea issue. “Who is declaring a water war, and who is it for? For us, it is not directly a Red Sea issue. It is a Nile war that is being declared,” he said.

He accused Ethiopia of using diplomatic and propaganda channels to secure seaport access and dismissed those efforts as unworthy of media attention. “They should not be acknowledged,” he said.

Isaias said the conflict has widened since the Pretoria Agreement. “Prosperity initially declared war on the Ethiopian people. After the Pretoria Agreement, war was declared in the Amhara region to eradicate Fano. War was declared in Tigray, Afar, Oromia, and Somalia,” he said.

The president blamed external backers for fueling the crisis. “This game is not about Prosperity, the ruling Ethiopian party. It is about others — those who are providing money and support,” he said, adding that officials within the Prosperity Party driving the crisis are “lazy, bankrupt, cowardly, and greedy.”

Isaias also alleged that drones and other weapons are being imported into Ethiopia in preparation for conflict. “Who is bringing the drones? Who is buying all these weapons from abroad? Who is funding this whole conspiracy? Where is the money coming from?” he asked, telling journalists: “Don’t waste your time; such things should not be mentioned in our media.”

He warned that Eritrea would not seek outside protection if war breaks out. “If war breaks out against us, we will not ask anyone to protect our rights. We should not be invited to their table of lies,” he said.

Relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea have deteriorated since the Pretoria Agreement, with tensions focused on Ethiopia’s desire for seaport access. Isaias has recently deepened ties with Egypt and Saudi Arabia and engaged in a war of words with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. He described the bilateral agreement with Saudi Arabia as based on “mutual understanding.”

Isaias blamed much of the Horn of Africa’s instability on foreign interference and called for regional cooperation to secure coasts and airspace. “It will not work to have powerful countries guard the coast and airspace. It is cooperation that will ensure regional security,” he said.

On relations with the United States, the president — a frequent critic of American foreign policy — said ties with the Donald Trump administration face challenges and argued that engagement should extend beyond bilateral channels.

Commenting on the civil war in Sudan, Isaias described the conflict as a proxy struggle that could be used to exert pressure across the region. “If Sudan can be controlled, it is a proxy war for the United Arab Emirates to exert pressure on Egypt, Chad, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and the Red Sea,” he said. He urged support for the Sudanese army and accountability for rebel forces: “The rebels must be held accountable for the deaths and suffering they have caused. Ensuring peace, stability and development in Sudan is in the interest of all of us.”

Isaias has traveled to Egypt, Sudan and Saudi Arabia in recent months as he deepens regional engagement. Prime Minister Abiy’s insistence on Ethiopia’s access to the sea has heightened Eritrean concerns and raised fears that the dispute could escalate into open conflict between the two countries.