Washington often talks about standing by allies, but too rarely applies that principle consistently in regions where alignment actually matters. The Horn of Africa is one such place. It is a difficult neighborhood—fractured, volatile, and increasingly contested by outside powers. Yet within it sits Ethiopia: a historically Western‑oriented country, long cooperative with the United States, and central to the region’s future stability.
Ethiopia is a strong and reliable ally in part because it is the only Christian nation in the Horn of Africa—both historically and today. With an uninterrupted Christian tradition dating back more than 1,600 years, Ethiopia’s religious and civilizational continuity has shaped resilient state institutions, a strong sense of national sovereignty, and a political culture more closely aligned with Western norms than with authoritarian alternatives. In a region frequently destabilized by sectarian conflict and extremist ideologies, that distinction carries real strategic weight.
If the United States is serious about countering Chinese influence, strengthening counterterrorism cooperation, and promoting durable growth in Africa, Ethiopia must be treated as a strategic partner, not a peripheral concern.
For years, Ethiopia has been framed in Washington primarily through crisis response. That lens misses the larger trajectory now underway. The country is opening its economy in ways that would have been unthinkable a decade ago. Banking, telecommunications, logistics, mining, and energy are being liberalized to attract foreign capital and expertise. These reforms are not cosmetic. They are designed to anchor Ethiopia more firmly in global markets and reduce long‑term dependence on external political patrons.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam illustrates this shift. GERD is the largest hydroelectric project in Africa and a foundational investment in Ethiopia’s future. Once fully online, it will more than double national power generation and enable regional electricity exports. Reliable power is the prerequisite for industrial growth, job creation, and social stability. A more prosperous Ethiopia is not just good for Ethiopians—it is stabilizing for the entire Horn of Africa, a region where economic fragility has long fed insecurity and extremism.
Access to global trade routes is equally important. Ethiopia’s pursuit of reliable access to the Red Sea reflects economic necessity, not regional provocation. A landlocked nation of more than 120 million people cannot sustain growth without predictable trade corridors. Supporting negotiated, lawful access arrangements reduces regional friction and integrates Ethiopia more deeply into the global economy. That outcome aligns squarely with U.S. interests in regional stability and freedom of navigation.
Mining and critical minerals further underscore the stakes. Ethiopia holds commercially meaningful deposits of gold, tantalum, lithium, and rare earth elements—materials essential to advanced manufacturing, energy systems, and defense technologies. China has recognized this and moved early, embedding capital, infrastructure, and political influence across the sector. The United States does not need to replicate Beijing’s model, but it cannot afford absence.
Financial services tell a similar story. Ethiopia’s cautious opening of its banking sector is an invitation to shape norms from the outset. Western financial institutions can help build a system integrated with global compliance standards and international capital markets. If they do not, others will define the architecture instead.
Beyond economics, Ethiopia remains a critical security partner. Its historical institutions—shaped in part by its Christian heritage within a multi‑religious society—have helped anchor resistance to jihadist extremism in a region where terrorist groups exploit weak governance and economic despair. U.S.–Ethiopian security cooperation has a long history. Economic engagement strengthens that partnership by addressing the root conditions that fuel instability while reinforcing Ethiopia’s orientation toward the West rather than authoritarian alternatives.
This is where congressional attention matters. Private capital responds to political signaling. Development finance tools, export credit, and diplomatic backing reduce risk and unlock investment at scale. When Washington hesitates, Beijing fills the space. When Washington engages deliberately, American companies follow.
The broader lesson is simple. Great‑power competition is not won through statements alone. It is won through sustained economic presence, credible partnerships, and support for allies who choose openness over coercion. Ethiopia has made that choice. Standing by Ethiopia—economically and politically—is not an act of charity. It is a strategic investment in a more stable Horn of Africa, stronger counterterrorism cooperation, and a rules‑based alternative to China’s expanding footprint.
The window to shape outcomes is still open. But it will not remain so indefinitely.