24/01/2026
“Ethiopians Should Never Ask the U.S. to Pick between Egypt and Ethiopia”
Tibor Nagy, Trump’s former Africa envoy, speaks out on the developments in the Horn
A new era of ‘transactional diplomacy’ is sweeping through the world, and the volatile Horn of Africa and Red Sea corridor are proving no exception. The old rules no longer seem to apply.
Developments ranging from Israel’s strategic positioning to President Isaias Afwerki’s ‘signaled desire’ to mend fences with Washington. Further, President Trump’s apparent tilt toward Cairo—at the expense of Ethiopia’s interests—appears more pronounced than ever. Amidst this turbulence, PM Abiy Ahmed’s administration has been attempting to diversify Ethiopia’s allies, a strategy often characterized by engaging fierce rivals simultaneously.
In this complex equation of shifting variables, who wins and who loses? What is the likely trajectory of these developments? How far will President Trump go to back Cairo’s interests, and how might his administration’s involvement reshape the Greater Horn and the Red Sea corridor?
The Reporter’s Bewket Abebe spoke with Tibor Nagy, the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. A veteran diplomat who served as the U.S. Ambassador to several countries, including Ethiopia, Nagy was also acting Under Secretary of State for Management during the second Trump administration. He is widely recognized for his deep interest in and unique perspective on the region’s diplomatic landscape.
Read the Full Interview: https://thereportermagazines.com/4995/
Via~The Reporters
