The strong waves of politics are crashing in the waters of the Red Sea these days. It is an old tradition and a common thing in this ancient era.
A few days ago, Ethiopia – Abyssinia – and the separatist region of Somaliland concluded an agreement on providing an outlet for Addis Ababa on the Red Sea. The agreement raised fears and risks that may threaten security in the Horn of Africa and navigation in the Red Sea, as well as Egyptian security, according to some experts.
Dr. Abdel Rahman Badio, professor of modern history and senior advisor to the Somali president for peace and reconciliation affairs, told Al Arabiya.net that this step by Ethiopia is a threat to Somali security first, in terms of providing a fertile environment for jihadist groups such as “Al-Shabaab” and “ISIS” in Jihadist mobilization under the pretext of “fighting the Christian Abyssinian invasion.” The other matter is the danger of this agreement to the highest Egyptian interests.
Egypt had responded quickly to the Ethiopian move by declaring President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s support for the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Somalia.
The conflict between Egypt and Abyssinia is not new today. Its main focus is the sources of the Nile River, as well as the safe navigation and safe passage of trade from Bab al-Mandab to the Suez Canal.
For example, in 1506, the “Crusader” King of Portugal sent a major campaign led by the famous Portuguese naval general in our Levant (Alfonso Albuquerque) as part of a major campaign.
One of the most important goals of Albuquerque’s campaign when entering the Red Sea was to attack Jeddah, then invade Medina itself!
But the political, economic and religious goal is to divert the course of the great river to flow only into the lands of Abyssinia, to deprive Egypt of it and make it die of thirst.
Albuquerque says, as stated in historical sources, that the King of Abyssinia at the time was eager to see this project implemented by him.
Somalia, like Egypt, is a member of the Council of States bordering the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, a grouping announced in 2020, and one of its most important countries is Saudi Arabia, which has the longest maritime borders on the Red Sea.
Ethiopia is not a member of this group, and there is no doubt that Ethiopia is an important and large African country in the Horn of Africa, but this should not be at the expense of the interests of the rest of the countries, especially Egypt, which has a northern outlet on the neck of the Red Sea towards the White Sea.
Perhaps the time has come, with Western and Eastern fleets flocking to the Red Sea, Iranian ambitions and intrusion into the Red Sea, and renewed Abyssinian concerns… Perhaps the time has come for the Organization of the Countries bordering the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to come together on a common word.
This great Red Sea… basically our sea.
#Red #Sea…our #sea
2024-01-13 08:04:38
