Ethiopia: PM Abiy Says Eritrean People Have Lost Former Assets Since Secession

Addis Ababa — Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Eritrean people have lost much of its industrial capacity and urban vitality since secession, urging good neighborliness and development cooperation as the path forward.

During an interview with the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC), the Prime Minister said Eritrean cities were once thriving economic centers when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia.

However, these assets have significantly deteriorated since Eritrea’s secession, with some cities losing much of their former urban character.

Recalling that Eritrea had more than 300 industries during that period, the Premier said the region had a substantial industrial base, contrasting its former economic strength with what he described as its present decline.

Citing Asmara, PM Abiy said the capital had become smaller than many developing Ethiopian cities such as Arba Minch and Jigjiga.

Speaking about the Red Sea port cities of Massawa and Assab, the Prime Minister said their economic activity had declined significantly, leaving their potential largely underutilized.

“Massawa has been emptied, while Assab has been reduced to a ghost town,” Prime Minister Abiy said.

The Prime Minister attributed the situation to the Eritrean government’s failure to prioritize development and institution-building, adding that its policies had instead drawn the country into serving the interests of forces opposed to Ethiopia.

He said Eritreans, whom he described as industrious and welcoming, were now facing displacement and hardship, underscoring that external factors supporting confrontation would not resolve the country’s underlying challenges.

Such involvement, the Premier said, offers no lasting solution to Eritrea’s problems, as those supporting confrontation are more likely to provide ammunition than contribute to addressing the country’s difficulties.

He stressed that friendship, good neighborliness and development cooperation remain the viable path forward, noting that decades of experience have demonstrated the limitations of alternative approaches.

The Prime Minister warned that continued disregard for calls to pursue partnership and development, rather than allowing the region to become an arena for external rivalries, could have serious consequences.

By  ENA.