The Group of Seven (G7) on Wednesday expressed concern over the worsening security situation in the Horn of Africa, specifically between Ethiopia and Eritrea,” warning that the situation carried “the risk of regional escalation amid rising cross-border tensions.”
In a joint declaration issued following their two-day meeting in Paris foreign ministers of G7 warned that further escalation could destabilize the wider Horn of Africa and threaten regional security, humanitarian operations and international trade, including in the Red Sea.
They called on all parties to “exercise maximum restraint, pursue diplomatic solutions” and ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access, alongside the protection of civilians, particularly women and children.
The ministers cautioned that further escalation could have “serious consequences” for regional stability, already dire humanitarian crises, security and international trade, particularly in the Red Sea, a strategically important maritime corridor.
The declaration also reaffirmed the importance of respecting “the sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of all countries in the region,” while expressing support for efforts by the United Nations and African Union to reduce tensions and facilitate dialogue between the parties.
The G7 statement comes amid heightened tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea whose relations have deteriorated following Ethiopia’s demand for sovereign access to the Red Sea and its stated interest to secure access to the sea through the Eritrean port of Assab.
Ethiopia and Eritrea relations have remained fragile despite the 2018 peace agreement that formally ended two decades of hostilities following their 1998–2000 border war.
MG/abj/APA