Lij Iyasu's Quest for a Sea Outlet Eastern Diplomacy, Wartime Territorial Proposals, Railway Politics, and Regional Alliances, 1914–1916

This paper places Lij Iyasu at the center of Ethiopia's early twentieth-century pursuit of a maritime outlet. It examines three principal strands of evidence: the February 1915 Ottoman proposal for an Ethiopian corridor to the Gulf of Aden, wartime German promises concerning territorial acquisitions, and Iyasu's involvement with eastern railway infrastructure and regional political alliances. The diplomatic proposal attributed to Ottoman consul Ahmed Mazhar Bey identifies a prospective maritime corridor between Zeila and Bulhar. This provides concrete evidence that access to the sea featured in diplomatic discussions surrounding Iyasu's foreign policy. However, the available evidence does not establish a finalized Ethiopian–Ottoman treaty, an implemented territorial annexation, or a specific Iyasu plan to acquire Assab. The paper also examines Negadras Tessema Eshete's administrative and advisory relationship with Iyasu, distinguishing documented historical involvement from unverified claims of policy authorship. Finally, the study analyzes Ethiopia's later maritime interests through the historical and legal question of Assab, including post-World War II territorial proposals, the 1950 United Nations federation settlement, Eritrean independence in 1993, and contemporary international law. The central argument is that Iyasu's maritime diplomacy illustrates a longstanding Ethiopian strategic concern regarding access to international shipping, while the historical quest for a sea outlet must be distinguished from contemporary claims of territorial sovereignty.