#Assab
LightNews LightNews
animbehav.bsky.social
⭐The ASSAB 2026 conference registrations are now open⭐

Early bird registrations are open until 15 May 2026

Click here to register: www.assab.org/assab-2026

We are also open for abstract submissions!

23-25 June, Adelaide, South Australia
Flinders University
February 11, 2026 at 10:32 PM
dropsitenews.com
x.com/criticalthre...
Tigrayan forces launched offensives in late January to take over key towns on the border with Amhara region in northwestern and southern Tigray. These areas are at the center of disputes between the federal government and TPLF over the Pretoria agreement, as the TPLF has cited the continued presence of Amhara forces and displacement of more than one million Tigrayans when slowing its mandatory demobilization. Relations between the federal government and TPLF have sharply deteriorated since March 2025, when hardline TPLF factions launched a de facto coup against the federal government-backed Tigray regional government. The federal government responded by revoking the TPLF’s legal standing as a political party, and the two parties had limited clashes in November 2025. 2/5 Critical Threats @criticalthreats · 22h The federal government and Tigrayan forces are unlikely to engage in a war on the same scale as the Tigray war in the immediate term, as the TPLF has sought to de-escalate. The lack of a political resolution to the disputes over the Pretoria agreement make future clashes likely in the upcoming months, however, heightening the risk of a broader, prolonged conflict. 3/5 The heightened tensions could spark a broader conflict with Eritrea, which would almost certainly get drawn into any war in Tigray on the side of the TPLF due to their recently bolstered ties. Ethiopia demanded the withdrawal of Eritrean forces from Tigray on February 7, with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed accusing Eritrea of mass killings during the Tigray war. These statements follow the broader deterioration of Eritrea-Ethiopia relations since the end of the Tigray war. Ethiopia excluded Eritrea from the Pretoria peace process despite their wartime alliance against the TPLF. Ethiopia has separately demanded to sea access via Eritrea’s port of Assab and not fully ruled out the use of force to achieve this goal. International observers already warned of an imminent war in March 2025 when Eritrea and Ethiopia massed forces at their shared border. 4/5 Critical Threats @criticalthreats · 22h A protracted conflict would also likely extend the regional proxy war already involving Sudan into Ethiopia given heightened competition across the Red Sea. Egypt and the UAE support opposite sides in Sudan’s civil war and would likely get pulled into an Eritrea-Ethiopia war as part of this regional competition, with Egypt backing Eritrea and the UAE backing Ethiopia. Saudi Arabia has also been increasingly assertive in countering the UAE regionally, although it has strong ties with Eritrea and Ethiopia, likely limiting its involvement in any broader conflict. 5/5
February 10, 2026 at 4:22 PM
shihabi.bsky.social
Under Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopia is descending into chaos: waging war against Tigray, destabilizing Somalia. threatening to seize Eritrea’s port of Assab by force, maintaining a dangerously strained relationship with Egypt, and now allowing the RSF to launch attacks on Sudan from its own territory.
reuters.com Reuters @reuters.com · 1d
Ethiopia is hosting a secret camp to train thousands of fighters for the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group in neighboring Sudan, Reuters reporting found, in the latest sign that one of the world’s deadliest conflicts is sucking in regional powers from Africa and the Middle East reut.rs/3ZnRcIu
Ethiopia builds secret camp to train Sudan RSF fighters, sources say
Ethiopia is hosting a secret camp to train thousands of fighters for the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group in neighbouring Sudan, Reuters reporting has found, in the latest sign that one of the ...
reut.rs
February 10, 2026 at 10:00 AM
criticalthreats.bsky.social
Ethiopia has separately demanded to sea access via Eritrea’s port of Assab and not fully ruled out the use of force to achieve this goal. International observers already warned of an imminent war in March 2025 when Eritrea and Ethiopia massed forces at their shared border.
February 9, 2026 at 6:08 PM
shihabi.bsky.social
Suddenly, Ethiopia cares about ”sovereignty” and regional stabilization while helping Sudan’s RSF destabilize Sudan from its soil and threatening to grab Eritrea’s port of Assab by force! Good luck with that
February 9, 2026 at 3:20 PM
dropsitenews.com
Ethiopia has formally demanded that Eritrea withdraw troops it says have crossed into Ethiopian territory, accusing Asmara of “outright aggression,” joint military maneuvers w/ Ethiopian rebel groups, and supplying them w/ weapons, the BBC reports. The demand was made in a letter from Foreign Min...
Ethiopia has formally demanded that Eritrea withdraw troops it says have crossed into Ethiopian territory, accusing Asmara of “outright aggression,” joint military maneuvers with Ethiopian rebel groups, and supplying them with weapons, the BBC reports. The demand was made in a letter from Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos, warning that recent developments signal dangerous escalation. Ethiopia says talks, including on sea access via Eritrea’s Assab port, could follow a withdrawal, amid fears of renewed war. See new posts Conversation BBC News (World) @BBCWorld Ethiopia calls on Eritrea to pull its troops back to the border
February 9, 2026 at 1:09 PM
This letter from Ethiopia to Eritrea has a distinctly ultimatum like feel. Eritrea absolutely does illegally occupy Ethiopian territory and does supply arms to the TDF and to the Fano rebels, linking these issues to Ethiopian imperalist ambitions for Assab is intended to legitimise a wider campaign.
February 9, 2026 at 7:17 AM
geopolupdates.bsky.social
#Ethiopia’s latest letter ironically accuses #Eritrea of aggression while also naming #Assab as a key issue for negotiation, knowing Eritreans don’t negotiate about their land. To some observers, it looks like Addis Ababa is building a narrative that could justify future action.
February 8, 2026 at 5:49 PM
yonigussie.bsky.social
The MFA also ominously added: “If we receive a positive response to our demand, #Ethiopia is willing to engage in good faith negotiations for a comprehensive settlement of all issues including the issue of access to the sea through the port of Assab.” But if the answer is not positive, then what? 2/
February 8, 2026 at 3:35 PM
afrikcom.bsky.social
Le Premier ministre éthiopien Abiy Ahmed multiplie les déclarations sur la nécessité existentielle pour son pays de retrouver un accès à la mer, et le président érythréen Isaias Afwerki met en garde contre toute velléité guerrière www.afrik.com/assab-le-por...
Assab, le port de la discorde : au cœur des tensions entre l'Éthiopie et l'Érythrée
Pourquoi le port d'Assab menace-t-il la paix dans la Corne de l'Afrique ? Analyse des tensions historiques, enjeux économiques et risques de guerre entre l'Éthiopie et l'Érythrée pour l'accès stratégi...
www.afrik.com
February 2, 2026 at 9:13 AM
footnational.bsky.social
U19 A : Gogny, Olufade, Assab, ... les Talents Foot-National de la dix-septième journée
➡️ https://l.foot-national.com/0XN
February 2, 2026 at 3:40 AM
leakliv.bsky.social
The latest war that may be starting in Tigray is highly related to the regional situation.

Eritrea, which is the historical enemy of TPLF have gotten closer to the group, as well as to Fano leaders to face Addis Ababa threats of annexation of Assab region.
January 31, 2026 at 12:14 PM
dropsitenews.com
The visit occurs as the U.S. intensifies efforts to coordinate with regional powers to secure a ceasefire in Sudan & prevent a wider regional war.

Landau's presence, following a recent visit by China's foreign minister, reflects also the strategic competition to maintain influence in the Horn of...
of Africa and the Red Sea corridor. And U.S. attendance at the Ethiopian Air Force anniversary is a signal of support for Ethiopia's military at a time of high tension with its neighbors. The vast country of nearly 140m people is currently at the center of a geopolitical storm in the Horn of Africa, facing severe tensions with nearly all of its immediate neighbors. These disputes are driven by Ethiopia's pursuit of sea access and the operational status of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). 1. Somalia: The Somaliland Port Deal The primary flashpoint is a January 2024 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Ethiopia and the breakaway region of Somaliland. ▪️The Dispute: Ethiopia agreed to formally recognize Somaliland’s independence in exchange for a 50-year lease of a 20-kilometer stretch of coastline to build a naval base. While Ethiopia later signed the Ankara Declaration supporting Somali sovereignty, it has never officially rescinded its MoU with Somaliland. Analysts note Ethiopia is "on the fence," keeping the Somaliland deal as a backup option while pursuing the Turkish-mediated path with Mogadishu. 2. Eritrea: Port Ambitions and Border Militarization Relations between former allies Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and President Isaias Afwerki have completely collapsed. ▪️The Dispute: PM Abiy recently called Ethiopia’s landlocked status a "historical mistake" and signaled a desire to regain access to the Red Sea, specifically targeting the Eritrean port of Assab. ▪️Significance: Eritrea has responded with nationwide military mobilization, describing Ethiopia's rhetoric as "irredentism". Officials from the Tigray Interim Administrationwarned in late 2025 that the two nations are on a "path to war". 3. Egypt: Existential Water Conflict (GERD) Tensions reached a new peak following the official completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in September 2025. ▪️The Dispute: Egypt views the dam as an existential threat to its water supply, as Ethiopia now controls 85% of the Blue Nile's flow. ▪️Significance: Egypt has shifted toward a policy of "encirclement," signing military and security pacts with Somalia and Eritrea to counter Ethiopian influence. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump offered to restart mediation, stating that "no state... should unilaterally control the precious resources of the Nile". 4. Sudan: Border Clashes and Civil War Spillover The ongoing Sudanese civil war has revived dormant territorial disputes. ▪️Dispute: Ethiopia is accused by the SAF of allowing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)to use its territory as a supply route, while Sudan has historically supported the TPLF in northern Ethiopia. Clashes in Bau county (Blue Nile state) on January 25, 2026, suggested these border areas are becoming active war zones. Photo: @EthnoMedUW Photo: @EthnoMedUW
January 29, 2026 at 1:11 AM
maitre-poulard.bsky.social
Sur la fascisation des pâtes alimentaires
🧵1/3
Dans les années 1930, I'talie fasciste célèbre son empire colonial en créant de nouvelles formes de pâtes rappelant ses possessions africaines: tripoline (Tripoli), bengazine (Benghazi), assabesi (Assab) et abissine (Abyssinie). Par la suite, afin d'effacer les références au fascisme colonialiste, les tripoline sont renommées farfalline (petits papillons).
January 24, 2026 at 11:23 AM
incompleteness.bsky.social
Ethiopia is threatening Eritrea, its diminutive neighbour, making a claim on the Eritrean port of Assab - Independence Day celebration in Eritrea in 2023. (J. Countess)
January 20, 2026 at 7:12 AM
incompleteness.bsky.social
Ethiopia is threatening Eritrea, its diminutive neighbour, making a claim on the Eritrean port of Assab - Eritrea's mass mobilisation amid Ethiopia civil war in 2022 - but the next one will look like that (on the first day)
January 20, 2026 at 7:08 AM
acute-tomato.bsky.social
Port Assab becomes flashpoint for Ethiopia–Eritrea relations ~
Port Assab becomes flashpoint for Ethiopia–Eritrea relations
Addis Ababa's renewed calls for sea access threaten an already fragile relationship with Eritrea, drawing anger from Asmara.
buff.ly
January 16, 2026 at 11:54 AM
ds-eb.bsky.social
#roadgeek | Some blue signs in Eritrea (between Massawa and Assab) use the Transport Medium variant used in Greece (see the stylization of the ss that differs from the standard British typeface), while Arabic labels use Boutros Advertisers (used in Saudi Arabia).
Road Sign in Massawa, Eritrea (With English and Arabic labels) Road sign in Assab with labels in Arabic and English in Eritrea
January 6, 2026 at 11:01 PM
slavaukraini033.bsky.social
now wants to secure access to the sea by any means necessary, particularly to the port of Assab in Eritrea. This has led to a rapprochement between Eritrea, the Tigrayan rebels, the Fano rebels, and Sudan.
January 4, 2026 at 8:54 PM
newmantexas.bsky.social
Headline: Egypt secure a deal on Djibouti and Eritrea Ports. I will add more information about the deal being made and what benefits did Eritrea and Djibouti get from this.
Egypt’s 2025 port agreements with Eritrea and Djibouti are not isolated economic projects but part of a long-standing strategic pattern rooted in 19th-century imperial ambitions, most clearly symbolized by the 1884 Hewett Treaty. In late 2025, Egypt signed deals to develop the Assab port in Eritrea and Doraleh port in Djibouti, including infrastructure suitable for military use and Egyptian naval deployments. While publicly framed as development partnerships, the article interprets these moves as a geopolitical strategy aimed at pressuring and encircling Ethiopia, particularly amid ongoing disputes over regional influence. Egypt’s behavior back to the era of Khedive Isma’il Pasha, when Egypt sought to dominate the Red Sea coast and penetrate the Ethiopian highlands. This expansionist project included the occupation of Massawa and military incursions into northern Ethiopia, ambitions that ultimately ended in decisive Egyptian defeats at the Battles of Gundet and Gura. Despite these losses, Egypt retained coastal footholds, sustaining long-term tension with Ethiopia. The Hewett Treaty of 1884 was intended to resolve these conflicts by promising Ethiopia free transit through Massawa in exchange for assisting Egypt’s military withdrawal. However, the treaty’s core guarantees were effectively nullified when Italy seized Massawa with British acquiescence, cutting off Ethiopian access to the sea and setting the stage for future confrontations, including the First Italo-Ethiopian War. The article presents this episode as an early example of how imperial maneuvering undermined Ethiopian sovereignty.
December 30, 2025 at 9:18 AM
geopolupdates.bsky.social
The #Eritrean gov keeps backing the Somali gov despite the fact that Mogadishu grew closer to Addis after Turkish led talks. When Ethiopia wanted to sign a MOU w #Somaliland, Eritrea supported Somalia. When Addis wanted to Annex #Assab, the Somali gov did not return the favor.
December 28, 2025 at 4:32 PM
geopolupdates.bsky.social
The National: Cairo increases pressure on Ethiopia through port deals w #Eritrea (in #Assab) & Djibouti. Plan: to increase capacity & create berths for warships & the scope to post small elite military contingents. The discreet signing took place in Oct. when #Afwerki visited 🇪🇬
December 24, 2025 at 6:27 PM
yonigussie.bsky.social
Why Take a Slice When You Can Seize It All

Ethiopian politicians, regime mouthpieces and Amhara expansionists—who until now have been demanding ownership of the Assab port on the Red Sea, in contravention of international law—are now questioning the legality of Eritrea’s 1993 referendum.
December 12, 2025 at 10:09 PM
geopolupdates.bsky.social
While the UN chief used balanced language its clear that the UN supports the legal border as defined by the EEBC. The EEBC border includes #Assab inside #Eritrea. Ethiopia stands alone in its illegal claim of an #Eritrean port in order to establish a navy & project power.
geopolupdates.bsky.social Geopolitical updates @geopolupdates.bsky.social · Dec 12
UN chief calls on #Eritrea, #Ethiopia to respect border pact on its 25th anniv. Noting that the treaty served to create "mechanisms for demarcating. At this milestone, the SG reiterates the steadfast UN support for the treaty. 7 yrs ago, both renewed their commitment to peace.”
December 12, 2025 at 11:04 AM
rk70534.bsky.social
"In this episode, sociologists and practitioners Dr. Nof Nasser-Eddin and Dr. Nour Abu Assab unpack what it really means to take a decolonial approach in the aid sector and why this shift is essential for meaningful prevention of sexual misconduct."

youtu.be/ymOIkzYgaS8?...
Academia vs Practice: A Decolonial Approach to Sexual Misconduct in Aid
YouTube video by World Health Organization (WHO)
youtu.be
December 2, 2025 at 3:27 PM