Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki said that his neighboring country, Ethiopia—which is at loggerheads with his own—should focus on resolving its internal issues instead of engaging in aggressive rhetoric that fuels conflict. He made the remarks in an interview with national television, Eri-TV, aired on Wednesday evening, 23 July.
In the first part of the interview last Saturday, Isaias addressed the ongoing tensions involving Ethiopia. The second part was meant to focus on Eritrea’s internal affairs, but instead, he devoted considerable time to discussing neighboring Sudan and the United Arab Emirates. The president once again mentioned Ethiopia, urging it to focus on resolving its urgent internal problems rather than involving the Ethiopian people in unwanted wars,” Isaias reiterated.
Isaias said that the Ethiopian letters to the United Nations Secretary-General, accusing Eritrea of “provocations,” are surprisingly false accusations. In his latest interview, Isaias stated that his country has no interest in war.
“The Addis Ababa government has other pressing issues that it should prioritize if it truly wants to accomplish anything. What is the reason for creating instability in such an unnecessary manner? It is not necessary,” he said. “Pointing fingers at Eritrea is only stirring up trouble. If things spiral out of control, it will be hard to stop it. This needs to stop now,” he added.
The diplomatic falling-out with Ethiopia—whose relations with Eritrea were only restored three years ago—is largely tied to the Pretoria Peace Agreement, signed in November 2022. While the agreement ended the Tigray war, it notably excluded Eritrea from the negotiations. Tensions have further escalated as Ethiopia’s leader has hinted at a desire for sea access to support the country’s economic and geopolitical ambitions. Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki has accused the United Arab Emirates of orchestrating Ethiopia’s “reckless” push for sea access, alleging that arms are being transported daily from the UAE to Ethiopia.
The president also accused Israel, France, and the United States of destabilizing the region.
Yes, we will focus on our internal issues. The root cause of most of our internal problems is Isaias Afeworki. We will uproot the the problem.
Isaias, Sick Man of East Africa. All he said and did in his life was to start conflict after conflict and shed blood all over the region and NEVER take responsibility for his crimes. Think about this, He single-handedly decimated the future of two generations of Eritreans. Sad thin is, Many still love him even as he continued to slaughter them one by one to keep himself in power.