Eritrea accused Ethiopia of waging an “unjustified war of aggression” in response to a letter Addis Ababa sent to the UN Security Council, accusing Asmara of committing “blatant aggression” by deploying forces in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia. The Eritrean position was set out in a post by Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel on X, commenting on the Ethiopian letter.
Ethiopia demands withdrawal of Eritrean forces
The Ethiopian government on Friday called for the immediate withdrawal of Eritrean forces from its territory, as military and diplomatic tensions between the two countries sharply escalated. Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gideon Timothewos said in the letter, dated 8 October, that the presence of Eritrean forces had left Ethiopia with “no choice but to defend itself against Eritrea”.
The report on the letter did not specify the scope or timing of any military measures Addis Ababa might take. Witnesses and experts said Eritrean soldiers had been seen in northern Ethiopia during the current week, days after the two countries severed diplomatic ties, raising fears that the ongoing escalation could develop into open conflict.
Reports of Eritrean forces entering Tigray
The Ethiopian letter coincided with field reports that Eritrean forces had entered the Tigray region. The Associated Press quoted a commander allied with the Ethiopian government as saying that Eritrean soldiers had entered two towns in the north of the country. The conflict-monitoring group ACLED also reported that Eritrean forces crossed the border on Wednesday and came under a drone attack as they advanced into the region.
The moves come as the two governments trade accusations over responsibility for the escalation and cross-border security threats. The current diplomatic crisis began in early October, when Addis Ababa expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats, accusing them of involvement in activities that threatened Ethiopia’s security.
Asmara responded by announcing that it was severing diplomatic ties with Ethiopia. The escalation puts relations between the two countries to a new test after years of rapprochement that led to the signing of a peace agreement in 2018, as current developments on the ground remain focused on northern Ethiopia and the Tigray region bordering Eritrea.
