Regional diplomatic efforts continue to avoid a conflict between Ethiopia and Somalia over the Red Sea dispute. The Djibouti government has proposed to Ethiopia the direct management of the Tadjourah port, located in the north of the country and already used by Addis Ababa for the import of certain raw materials. As stated by Djibouti’s Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, this proposal also includes control of a recently constructed road corridor. The offer is currently under review by the Ethiopian government, which, however, seems more focused on developments within Somalia.
Meanwhile, Cairo has sent the first two planes loaded with ammunition and heavy weapons as part of the defense agreement signed between Egypt and Somalia on August 14, in response to tensions with Ethiopia. According to local sources, Egypt and Somalia are also negotiating the deployment of an Egyptian military contingent, which could reach up to 10,000 troops. The Somali government has escalated the rhetoric, even suggesting the possibility of supporting Oromo and Amhara rebels against the Ethiopian government. In an interview with the Somali broadcaster Universal TV, Somalia’s Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi stated that the country might consider establishing contacts and providing support to Ethiopian rebel groups if Addis Ababa decides to implement the agreement signed with Somaliland. “The option of having contacts with armed rebels in Ethiopia is open for us”, Fiqi said, while emphasizing that no such initiative has yet been undertaken by Mogadishu. On the same occasion, Fiqi did not rule out the possibility of establishing contacts with the TPLF, the Tigray party that fought Addis Ababa in 2021. These statements were condemned by Ethiopia, as expressed by Nebiyu Tedla, Ethiopia’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, who wrote on X that such attitudes only lead Somalia towards the abyss.
Amid growing tensions with Somalia, the insurgency in Ethiopia’s Amhara region has reached new heights with the FANO rebel group launching an offensive on the city of Gondar. The rebels attacked the towns of Debark and Dabat, north of Gondar, before moving towards the city itself, where they were repelled only using artillery by the Ethiopian army. The attack resulted in about 100 deaths and 30 injuries, with approximately 40 members of Gondar’s police forces reportedly kidnapped by the insurgents, according to FANO’s high command, which also denied initiating negotiations with the Ethiopian government, contradicting statements made by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed a month ago. After withdrawing from the city, the rebels reportedly established a strategic position ten kilometers away from the urban center. This attack marks an escalation, considering that at the start of the revolt in 2023, the armed group had decided to abandon the city, believing they lacked the manpower and resources to hold it at the time. The latest developments could signal increased confidence among the rebels in sustaining a battle in Gondar.
Significant geopolitical movements are also occurring in the context of the Sudan crisis. While negotiations between the RSF militias and the regular army remain stalled, South Sudan is leveraging its oil resources to navigate the turbulence caused by the generals’ war. The South Sudanese government has begun negotiations during the recent Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing for the construction of a new pipeline that would connect South Sudan to the port of Djibouti, passing through Ethiopia. South Sudanese President Salva Kiir reiterated the need for an alternative pipeline due to the suspension of oil flows caused by the ongoing conflict in Sudan, which has already damaged parts of the energy infrastructure. In this context, the Sudan Sovereign Council is taking action. After a meeting between Kiir and al-Burhan on the sidelines of the FOCAC, South Sudan temporarily suspended fuel sales to Sudan to prevent crude oil from being intercepted by the RSF. Subsequently, al-Burhan and Kiir signed a joint plan in Juba to secure oil infrastructure.
Download the September 2024 reportFrom Iran’s assertiveness to tensions between actors in the Horn of Africa, via piracy and terrorism: the role of the strategic straits in the new instability of the Gulf-Red Sea quadrant.
The visit of Italy’s President of the Republic to Kenya comes at a historic moment when the eyes of the world are on the region. Between symbolic and pragmatic, the visit puts Africa back at the heart of Italian foreign policy.
Head of state | Isaias Afewerki |
Head of Government | Isaias Afewerki |
Institutional Form | Presidential Republic, strong authoritarianism |
Capital | Asmara |
Legislative Power | Legislative Assembly, unicameral (150 Members of Parliament) |
Judicial Power | High Court |
Ambassador to Italy | Fessahazion Pietros Menghistu |
Total Area kmq | 117.600 Km² |
Land | 101.000 Km² |
Weather | Tropical-desertic on the coast and arid on the mountains |
Natural resources | gold, potassium, zinc, copper, salt, oil, natural gas and fish |
Economic summary | Eritrea has a planned economy and the finance is totally controlled by the State. About 80% of population works in the subsistence agriculture field, a small part of the total production of the country. Most of the gains come from mining (gold, copper, silver, potassium and zinc). The economy of the country depends, also, on the remittances of Eritreans who emigrated abroad. |
GDP | $2.9 billion (Dec. 2021) |
Pro-capite GDP (Purchasing power parity) | $642,5 (Dec. 2021) |
Exports | $596 million (2020) |
Export partner | UAE 44.6%, China 44.3%, South Korea 7.64%, Malaysia 2.48% (2020) |
Imports | $361 million (2020) |
Import partner | UAE 21.4%, Egypt 21.7%, China 19.4%, Italy 8.34%, Türkiye 2.74%, India 2.4% (2020) |
Trade With Italy | $13,9 million (2021) |
Population | 6.209.262 (2022 est.) |
Population Growth | +1,03% (2022) |
Ethnicities | Tigrinya 55%, Tigre 30%, Saho 4%, Kunama 2%, Rashaida 2%, Bilen 2%, others (Afar, Beni Amir, Nera) 5% (2010) |
Languages | Tigrinya, Arabic, English, Tiger, Kunama, Afar and other cushiitic |
Religions | Christians (Coptic, Catholics, Protestants) 62.2%, Muslims 36.6%, other religions 1% |
Urbanization | 42,6% (2022) |
Literacy | 76,6% (2022) |
Eritrea has existed as an independent state since 1991, following a referendum that marked its secession from Ethiopia. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and it borders to the north and west with Sudan, to the south with Ethiopia and to the southeast with Djibouti. Eritrea covers a strategic position on the Red Sea with more than 100 islands that overlooks Saudi Arabia and Yemen and 1200 km of coast. The population is about 6 million and the official languages are Tigrinya and Arabic.
Italy exports several products to Eritrea and it has been a partner for the country in the agricultural, commercial and productive sectors. Italy has a long-term presence in Eritrea, linked to the colonial period and subsequent business ventures in the construction, infrastructure and textile sectors.