State-owned Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics (ESL) says it is closely monitoring the evolving security situation in the Red Sea and the wider Middle East, while weighing commercial options to keep Ethiopian cargo moving without disruption.
ESL Chief Executive Officer Abdulber Shemsu said the company is assessing whether to introduce feeder services in the region or reroute vessels on longer voyages, depending on how the situation develops.
“We will make our decision based on commercial analysis because the situation is still unfolding,” Abdulber told Capital. “Our priority is to ensure that goods destined for Ethiopian customers continue to move.”
He noted that the company has previously operated under difficult circumstances. During the height of the conflict between the United States and Iran, ESL vessels continued calling at the Port of Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates to transport essential cargo for Ethiopia despite heightened security risks.
“Our diplomatic advantage has helped Ethiopian-flagged vessels continue operating in volatile waters,” he said.
The Red Sea, which had remained relatively calm for much of the past year, has become a renewed source of concern in recent weeks, adding to tensions already affecting the Persian Gulf. The deteriorating security environment has raised fresh concerns over global shipping, with cargo movements—including Saudi oil shipments—coming under pressure.
Since the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, Yemen’s Ansarallah movement has threatened vessels and shipping companies linked to Israel or countries it considers to be supporting Israel. Despite those risks, ESL, which operates a fleet of 10 deep-sea vessels, has continued sailing through the region without interruption.
New uncertainty also emerged this week following reports that Ansarallah could seek to impose transit fees on ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Djiboutian government firmly rejected any unilateral attempt to levy charges on one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors, arguing that the strait is an international waterway where vessels enjoy the right of free navigation.
