Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of “flagrant aggression” following the deployment of Eritrean troops in the northern Tigray region. In response, Eritrea has claimed that Ethiopia has been conducting an “unprovoked war of aggression” against it, heightening tensions between the neighboring countries and increasing the risk of open conflict, according to reports from AFP.
Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after decades of war, but the two nations engaged in a bloody conflict from 1998 to 2000 over territorial disputes.
Relations improved after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power in 2018, earning him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 for his reconciliation efforts with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, who has been in power since Eritrea’s independence. However, in recent years, these relations have deteriorated, culminating in mutual accusations of internal destabilization.
Reports indicate that Eritrean troops have been present in Tigray for several days, with estimates of their numbers ranging between 5,000 and 8,000 soldiers. The Ethiopian military has utilized drones against them in Adigrat, a city located about 40 km south of the Eritrean border, prompting Eritrean forces to retreat further north.
The presence of Eritrean troops in Tigray is viewed by Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos as “a blatant act of aggression that justifies Ethiopia’s legitimate right to self-defense,” as stated in a letter sent to all members of the UN Security Council on Thursday.
In retaliation, Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel accused the Ethiopian regime of conducting an unprovoked war of aggression against Eritrea for over three years.
This escalation of rhetoric comes just over two weeks after fighting resumed in northern Ethiopia between the Ethiopian federal army and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the political group that has practically governed the northern regional state since April. Addis Ababa has accused Asmara of providing military support to TPLF rebels for several months.
Meanwhile, rebel forces have withdrawn from two cities in northern Tigray, Adigrat and Shire, the latter of which has an airport that has been closed since the resumption of hostilities. The Ethiopian army, supported by the Tigray Peace Force (TPF), a militia affiliated with a dissident faction of the TPLF that joined the federal government, entered the regional capital Mekele on Saturday without resistance, as rebel forces had already abandoned the area.
