Ethiopia: Ethiopia Joins Regional Maritime Security Talks in Nairobi Amid Growing Red Sea Threats, UN Says

What the report says

Ethiopia took part in a two-day Maritime Law Enforcement Dialogue in Nairobi this week, according to a report carried by Addis Standard and distributed by AllAfrica. The meeting brought together security officials from Ethiopia, Yemen, Djibouti and Somalia and was presented by the United Nations as part of efforts to improve cooperation and information-sharing as maritime threats rise in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The dialogue was facilitated by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, with support from the European Union, INTERPOL, the International Maritime Organization and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development. Participants discussed maritime domain awareness, joint operational cooperation and responses to piracy, illegal fishing, trafficking in persons, migrant smuggling and narcotics trafficking. Officials from Ethiopia and Djibouti both stressed the need for closer coordination among regional maritime authorities and law-enforcement bodies.

Captain Kibru Mesfin of the Ethiopian Maritime Authority said better maritime security matters for Ethiopia because most of its trade moves through Djibouti. He warned that disruptions can raise shipping and insurance costs, slow the delivery of essential goods and weaken export capacity. The article also noted that Ethiopia is seeking stronger regional links as part of its broader effort to build maritime institutions, including a planned National Maritime Information Centre.

The report placed the talks in a wider regional context: tensions affecting shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and Ethiopia’s continuing interest in sea access. As background, Ethiopia is landlocked and has repeatedly said secure access to maritime routes is strategically important, making regional security forums relevant to both trade and broader diplomacy.