The Ethiopian government has called on the UN Security Council to act to secure the immediate withdrawal of Eritrean forces from Ethiopian territory, accusing Asmara of carrying out “blatant aggression” and describing its forces’ crossing of the border as an invasion and a violation of the country’s sovereignty, as military clashes continue in the far north of the Tigray region and accounts differ over the military deployment near the border between the two countries.
Ethiopia calls for Eritrean forces to be withdrawn
The Ethiopian request came in a letter to the Security Council dated 8 October. Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gideon Timothewos said in the letter that the presence of Eritrean forces on his country’s territory had left Ethiopia with no option but to defend itself against Eritrea.
Addis Ababa said in the letter that it would be forced to exercise its right to self-defence if the reported military presence continued. Diplomatic sources said the letter described the Eritrean forces’ crossing of the border as an invasion and a violation of Ethiopian sovereignty.
In its letter to the United Nations, Ethiopia accused Eritrea of carrying out clear aggression against it and called on the Security Council to take action leading to the immediate removal of Eritrean forces from its territory. The diplomatic escalation coincided with accounts from witnesses and experts who said Eritrean soldiers had been seen in northern Ethiopia during the current week.
Forces deployed around Adigrat as accounts differ
The accounts came days after Ethiopia and Eritrea severed diplomatic relations, amid escalating military statements from both sides and continuing clashes in the mountainous areas of far northern Tigray on the border with Eritrea. Local sources said forces from the Eritrean army had entered Ethiopian territory and deployed around the city of Adigrat in northern Tigray, an area close to the Eritrean border.
The sources added that some of these forces had moved south towards Mekelle, the regional capital, while Adigrat lies about 40 kilometres south of the border with Eritrea. Asmara, however, denied the Ethiopian account that its forces were in Adigrat.
Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebre Meskel rejected reports that Eritrean soldiers had deployed in the city, saying they were part of an Ethiopian attempt to justify launching a war against Eritrea. The presence, deployment locations and movements of the forces therefore remain disputed between the two sides.
Eritrea links crisis to demand for a sea outlet
In response to the accusations, Eritrea said Ethiopia had declared war on it in 2023, linking this to Addis Ababa’s announcement that year that it was seeking access to a sea outlet. The position comes in response to Ethiopia’s latest accusation that Asmara had attacked its territory and threatened its sovereignty. Field reports also said Ethiopian drones had carried out strikes targeting Eritrean vehicles in northern Ethiopia.
The reports remained unconfirmed independently, alongside conflicting official accounts over the entry of Eritrean forces into Ethiopian territory. Ethiopian federal forces and allied Tigrayan forces had taken control of Adigrat without a fight after Tigray People’s Liberation Front forces withdrew from it.
Fighting spreads to Tigray and Amhara regions
Meanwhile, clashes continued between the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan forces in the mountainous areas in the far north of the region, amid a severe shortage of field information from the combat zones. The military developments extended to the Amhara region, where media outlets affiliated with Fano circulated reports saying the force had seized 10 towns in North Shewa during a coordinated attack.
Ethiopia is maintaining its demand for an immediate withdrawal and hinting at self-defence, while Eritrea rejects accusations that its forces are inside Adigrat and says the Ethiopian account is intended to create a pretext for war.
