Granting Egypt Naval Bases in Assab or Dahlak: The Best Permanent Solution to Ethiopia’s War Agenda Against Eritrea
Egypt and Eritrea Share a Common Enemy in Ethiopia; Cairo’s Military Might, Including Personnel, Fighter Jets, Drones and Missiles, and the New Maritime Pact Connecting Massawa, Assab and Marsa Fatma Deter Aggression and Secure the Red Sea
Egypt-Eritrea Solution to Ethiopia’s Threat
The best permanent solution to Ethiopia’s war agenda against Eritrea would be to grant Egypt naval bases in Assab or on the Dahlak Islands. Such a base should include Egyptian personnel, fighter jets, drones and missiles. This move would permanently deter Ethiopia, ensure it remains landlocked and “air-locked,” and enable Eritrea to receive greater military assistance along with increased economic revenues.
Egypt-Eritrea Maritime Pact Against Ethiopian Ambitions
Egypt and Eritrea have already signed a maritime agreement connecting Eritrea’s three ports of Massawa, Assab and Marsa Fatma with Egyptian ports. Egypt and Eritrea have a common enemy that is Ethiopia. Ethiopia is waging war with all its neighbors on the Red Sea. This includes Ethiopia’s threats of invading Eritrea by the Ethiopian dictator claiming he could turn Asmara to Gaza, and recent remarks by Ethiopian general Bacha saying that Eritrea will not cease to exist if Ethiopia wages war on Eritrea.
Egypt’s Military Dominance Over Ethiopia
Egypt has the strongest army, air force and navy in Africa with over 1,000 military aircraft, including more than 200 F-16s, Rafale jets, helicopters and drones, as well as thousands of tanks, navy ships, modern drones and ballistic missiles.
Egypt’s Strategic Power and Role in the Red Sea
Egypt, with 112 million citizens, has the strongest army, navy and air force in Africa, receives approximately 1 billion dollars in U.S. military aid annually, and controls the Suez Canal, one of the most important waterways in the world connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea and Indian Ocean.
Egypt’s Legitimate Grievances Against Ethiopia
Egypt has legitimate reasons for its conflicts with Ethiopia, as Ethiopia threatens Egypt’s share of the Nile and causes water shortages. Egypt also opposes Ethiopia’s support for the RSF in Sudan and Ethiopia’s aggressive maritime ambitions that challenge Eritrea’s and Somalia’s sovereignty, since an Ethiopian naval outlet in the Red Sea could threaten Egypt’s interests.
Why Ethiopia Fears Egypt’s Superior Forces
Ethiopia fears Egypt’s military might, as Ethiopia relies on outdated Soviet fighter jets and tanks that could not keep up with Egypt’s 1,000 military aircraft, including 200 F-16 fighter jets, modern drones and long-range missiles.
Benefits for Eritrea: Deterring Ethiopian Aggression, Securing Sovereignty and Generating Revenue
The benefits of such a base would be to deter Ethiopian aggression, secure Red Sea security and Eritrea’s sovereignty. Eritrea could generate more revenue from granting Egypt a base, and an Egyptian base in Eritrea could strengthen U.S.-Eritrean relations, as Egypt is America’s number one ally in Africa. This would further ensure Red Sea security through joined Eritrean and Egyptian navies, creating a Red Sea corridor from Eritrea’s Bab al-Mandeb strip to Egypt’s Suez Canal in accordance with the Eritrean-Egyptian maritime pact.