Eritrean President Arrives in Assab City Amid Tensions with Ethiopia
Eritrean President has arrived in Assab city amid ongoing tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The President arrived in the port city on Friday.
Eritrean coastal city Assab is located around 75 km away from the Ethiopian border. In recent months, Ethiopian leaders have been claiming that Assab is Ethiopian territory and landlocked Ethiopia will get access to the Assab port by any means.
In a letter written to the UN Security Council this week, Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that Ethiopian Federal Government’s ongoing military offensive in northern Ethiopia has basically been launched to be followed by attack on Eritrea to gain access to Assab port.
Ethiopian Prime Minister, on several occasions, has been heard saying that sea access is an existential issue for Ethiopia. Ethiopian government last week accused Eritrea of launching its military into Ethiopia in support of Ethiopian opposition alliance called Tibibir Lahayliwona. Intense fighting has been underway between the opposition alliance and Ethiopian federal forces in Tigray, Amhara & Afar regions since September 23, 2026.
Reportedly, Afar Sultan Abdul Kader Dawud (Darbar of Rahayta) accompanied Eritrean President from Asmara to Assab. Eritrean President, Afar Sultan and other tribal leaders are holding discussions in Assab to counter a likely military offensive by Ethiopia from Bure town. There are reports of exchange of gunfire between Ethiopian and Eritrean forces around Bure town.
In case of military offensive by Ethiopia from Bure to Assab, swift mobilization of Eritrean military from Asmara will be extremely challenging keeping in the view the infrastructural hurdles and proximity of Assab to Ethiopian border. It seems that Eritrean President wants to mobilize and arm local Afar tribes to launch them into war against Ethiopian military.
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