Eritrea and Ethiopia are facing serious tensions over access to the sea and control of ports. Eritrea’s Foreign Minister accused Ethiopia of preparing for war and said Ethiopia’s actions insult Eritrea’s independence. Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister, Dr. Gideon Timothy, said Eritrea has violated Ethiopia’s sovereignty by controlling areas in northern Ethiopia and interfering in its internal affairs. He stressed that the port of Cassab is very important for Ethiopia’s 130 million people and that Ethiopia has invested a lot in it before and after Eritrea’s independence. Dr. Gideon said Ethiopia wants a port for economic survival, but also prefers peace and dialogue. He called on the international community to pressure Eritrea and said Ethiopia is ready for talks. Both sides have strong claims, but Ethiopia wants to solve the issue through regional cooperation instead of war. The situation remains fragile and could worsen if diplomacy fails.

Pray for peace and friendly relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Pray for wise counsel for the authorities of both countries to resolve the problems through peaceful negotiations (The Holy Bible, Psalm 46:9).

Pray for the international authorities to take immediate action to ease the tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Pray for divine peace and protection for all the people living in the border areas between the two countries (The Holy Bible, Matthew 5:9).

News Source: BBC

Image Source: Canva