Eritrea Accuses UAE of ‘Port Imperialism’ Across Africa

Eritrea's foreign minister has accused the United Arab Emirates of pursuing a strategy of port imperialism across Africa, saying Abu Dhabi's investments in Red Sea and Horn of Africa ports serve strategic aims beyond commerce.

Osman Saleh made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Middle East Eye published in September 2026. UAE-backed companies DP World and AD Ports hold stakes in maritime facilities in Egypt, Tanzania, Somaliland and Puntland, on the approaches to the Red Sea, which carries roughly a tenth of global trade.

Eritrea refused to allow DP World to manage its ports, Saleh said. He added that Eritrea also rejected a 2016 UAE request to establish a military base on an island in the Dahlak Archipelago.

The UAE denied having imperial ambitions in Africa.

The southern Red Sea has come under growing pressure, with Houthi forces completing their seizure of the Hanish Islands on September 14, adding to the strategic weight of coastal access along the Eritrean and Yemeni shores.