By Mammo Abb-Kebede

Ethiopia stands at a crossroads. The government tells us that our suffering—our poverty, our hunger, our misery—stems from one thing: the lack of access to a port. They point to Asab, a strip of land by the sea, and declare, “This is the root of all our problems. Take it back, and we will be free.” But let us be clear: They are wrong.

The lack of a port is not the root of our suffering. It is a symptom—a fruit of a tree whose roots run far deeper. And if we do not address those roots, no amount of land, no port, no war will ever set us free.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙍𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙜𝙜𝙡𝙚

For centuries, we have been told that our problems lie outside of us. That our enemies are the ones holding us back. But the truth is, our greatest enemy is not Eritrea. It is not the lack of a port. Our greatest enemy is the mindset that keeps us trapped in cycles of poverty and conflict. A mindset that looks for solutions in war rather than in the power of our own minds and hands.

The real root of our struggle is the absence of a developed consciousness—a consciousness that values education, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. A consciousness that sees problems not as dead ends, but as opportunities to create, to build, to rise.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙒𝙖𝙧

The government wants us to believe that reclaiming Asab will solve our problems. But let us ask ourselves: What good is a port if we have nothing to export but our suffering? What good is a port if we lack the industries, the innovations, the products that the world needs? A port is a tool, and tools are only as powerful as the hands that wield them.

War is not the solution. War is a diversion. A diversion from the hard work of building a nation that values education, that invests in its people, that prioritizes peace and development over conflict and destruction. Who benefits from this war? Who benefits from keeping us distracted, from turning our attention away from the real issues—the corruption, the mismanagement, the lack of investment in our people?

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙: 𝙄𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙋𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚

The solution to Ethiopia’s problems lies not in reclaiming a port, but in reclaiming our minds. Imagine an Ethiopia where every child has access to quality education. Where young minds are nurtured to think critically, to innovate, to solve problems. Imagine an Ethiopia where we are not just consumers, but creators. Not just laborers, but inventors. Not just survivors, but thrivers. That is the Ethiopia we must fight for. Not with guns and bombs, but with books, with ideas, with determination.

We must invest in education. We must foster a culture of innovation. We must empower every Ethiopian to be a problem-solver, a creator, a leader. Only then can we break free from the cycles of poverty and conflict that have plagued us for generations.

𝘼 𝘾𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙤 𝘼𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

Let us not be swayed by empty promises and false solutions. Let us not sacrifice our future on the altar of war. Instead, let us rise. Let us rise with the power of our minds, the strength of our character, and the determination to build an Ethiopia that is not defined by its ports, but by its people.

The roots of our struggle lie within us. And so too does the power to overcome them. Let us dig deep, my friends. Let us dig deep, and plant the seeds of a brighter future.

Because in the end, it is not the port that will define us. It is the people. And we are the people.

#Let_us_rise. #SayNoToWar#PeaceHasNoAlternative