Addis Ababa – Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of launching an “all-out invasion” of its territory, warning that it has no choice but to defend itself as military activity intensifies along their shared border and fears of another regional war grow.
In a letter to the United Nations shared with Reuters on Friday, October 9, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos alleged that Eritrean forces had advanced up to 60 kilometres into northern Ethiopia.
“The all-out invasion of parts of northern Ethiopia by Eritrea is a matter of public record,” the letter said. “It is a blatant act of aggression that engages Ethiopia’s inherent right to self-defence.”
The letter, dated Thursday, was addressed to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot. A senior Ethiopian government official who provided the document said it had also been sent to other members of the UN Security Council.
Eritrea rejected Ethiopia’s position, accusing Addis Ababa of pursuing an aggressive policy against its neighbour for more than three years. The competing claims follow reports of an Eritrean military incursion this week, raising concerns about a return to open warfare between the two countries.
The latest tensions come amid renewed fighting in the Horn of Africa and growing strategic competition around the Red Sea, a vital international shipping corridor.
Dispute over Red Sea access
Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel said his country had exercised restraint despite what he described as Ethiopia’s hostile intentions.
“The Ethiopian regime has been pursuing, in effect, an unprovoked war of aggression against Eritrea for more than three years,” Yemane said in a statement posted on X on Friday.
He cited statements by Ethiopian officials regarding the country’s ambition to regain sovereign access to the sea, accusing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government of using the latest tensions to justify an attempt to seize Assab, an Eritrean port on the Red Sea.
Ethiopia became landlocked in 1993 when Eritrea gained independence, leaving Addis Ababa without direct access to the coastline.
The Ethiopian government regards access to the sea as a strategic and economic necessity, but has maintained that its objective should be achieved through peaceful negotiations and dialogue.
Eritrea, however, has interpreted Ethiopia’s position as a threat to its territorial sovereignty.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Eritrean information minister did not directly address reports that Eritrean troops had entered Ethiopian territory. On Wednesday, he described allegations of an incursion as part of what he called an Ethiopian strategy to justify a war against Eritrea.
Witnesses told Reuters that Eritrean soldiers had been seen in northern Ethiopia earlier this week, days after the neighbouring countries severed diplomatic ties.
Explosions reported near Adigrat
Military activity has continued around the northern Ethiopian town of Adigrat, where drone strikes believed to have been carried out by Ethiopian forces targeted Eritrean troops as they withdrew from positions nearby.
The US based conflict monitor ACLED reported that the strikes occurred on Wednesday and Thursday. The positions were approximately 30 kilometres from the Eritrean border.
An Adigrat resident told Reuters on Friday that repeated explosions could be heard overnight and into the morning from areas several kilometres outside the town.
The reported attacks come as Ethiopian government forces continue to make gains in Tigray, where fighting has intensified since September 23.
The renewed violence has raised fears that the region could again descend into a prolonged conflict, following the devastating 2020 to 2022 Tigray war, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths.
Eritrea has denied supporting the rebel alliance fighting federal government forces in the northern Ethiopian regions of Tigray, Amhara and Afar.
The allegations of Eritrean involvement have further strained relations between the two governments, with Ethiopia accusing its neighbour of backing forces seeking to undermine the federal administration.
Flights to Mekelle set to resume
Despite the continuing insecurity, Ethiopian Airlines announced that it would resume flights to Mekelle, the regional capital of Tigray, on October 11.
The planned resumption of services comes as federal forces continue to advance in parts of the region, signalling a degree of renewed government control even as fighting persists.
The situation remains particularly sensitive given the history between the two countries.
Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a devastating border war from 1998 to 2000 before Abiy and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki signed a peace agreement in 2018. The agreement earned Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize that year.
Eritrean forces later fought alongside Ethiopia’s federal government during the 2020 to 2022 conflict in Tigray. Relations between the former allies deteriorated towards the end of that war, however, as disagreements over security and regional influence deepened.
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