Historical Continuity and Colonial Disruptions in the Northern Red Sea: A Comprehensive Analysis of Ethiopia’s Sovereignty and the Evolving Status of the Port of Assab from Pre-Colonial to Post-Colonial Periods

This study investigates the historical, legal, and geopolitical foundations of the Assab question, challenging prevailing narratives that position the port as intrinsically part of Eritrea. Drawing on archival records, colonial correspondences, legal documents, and contemporary policy sources, the research demonstrates that Assab historically functioned within Ethiopia’s imperial sphere, either through direct administration as in the case of Medri Bahri or through tributary autonomy under Afar sultanates. The study employs a qualitative research approach supported by NVivo 12, enabling systematic thematic coding and comparative historical analysis across precolonial, colonial, and postcolonial periods. Findings reveal that Italian colonialism disrupted long standing Ethiopian governance structures by amalgamating unrelated territories and constructing a new political identity under the name Eritrea. Legal historical evidence, including the 1952 United Nations federation arrangement, reaffirms Ethiopia’s continuity of sovereignty, while the legitimacy of Eritrea’s secession remains highly questionable due to its exceptional legal basis, the transitional nature of the government that provided consent, and the absence of full compliance with principles of international law and the United Nations Charter. The study underscores that the transitional government led by Meles Zenawi consented to the separation due to their allied position, and that the endorsement by Boutros Ghali (an Egyptian), the UN Secretary General, introduces unresolved legal ambiguities concerning the process and its international legitimacy. Geopolitically, Assab’s strategic importance for Ethiopia’s access to the Red Sea illustrates how colonial boundary making and contemporary external interventions continue to influence regional power dynamics. In particular, the study demonstrates that Egypt’s involvement in the Eritrean liberation process was driven by a strategic objective to secure the secession of Eritrea and thereby block Ethiopia from maintaining access to the Red Sea, effectively contributing to Ethiopia’s landlocked status. Through an integrated historical, legal, and comparative lens, the study concludes that the Assab issue is a product of colonial engineering, external geopolitical manipulation, and unresolved postcolonial legal ambiguities, with significant implications for regional stability, diplomatic negotiations, and long-term conflict resolution in the Horn of Africa.