Ethiopia and Eritrea Trade War Accusations as Diplomatic Ties Collapse

Ethiopia and Eritrea have exchanged severe accusations of military aggression, escalating a crisis that has already prompted both nations to sever diplomatic ties. Addis Ababa has formally charged Eritrea with an “all-out invasion” of its territory, while Asmara counters that Ethiopia is waging an unprovoked war of aggression against it.

In a letter dated Thursday and addressed to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, Ethiopian Foreign Affairs Minister Gedion Timothewos described the incursions as a “blatant act of aggression” that triggers Ethiopia’s right to self-defense. Gedion asserted that Eritrean forces have pushed approximately 60 kilometers (37 miles) into Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region and demanded their immediate withdrawal. This development comes just days after Ethiopia closed its embassy in Asmara and ordered ten Eritrean diplomats to depart.

Eritrea’s Minister of Information, Yemane Gebremeskel, rejected these allegations on the social media platform X. He stated that the Ethiopian regime has been pursuing an unprovoked war for over three years, arguing that Asmara has exercised restraint. Yemane claimed that Ethiopia effectively declared war in 2023 by asserting its right to sea access, and he accused Addis Ababa of using the current conflict as a pretext to seize the port of Assab to restore access to the Red Sea.

The dispute also involves internal Ethiopian conflicts. Eritrea denied reports that it is supporting the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which leads an alliance of seven armed groups attempting to overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government since September. Over the past week, the Ethiopian army has reportedly reclaimed the Tigrayan capital, Mekelle, and cities such as Shire and Adigrat from rebel forces. Witnesses told AFP that Eritrean troops were observed in Adigrat before being targeted by Ethiopian drone strikes.

The two neighbors share a volatile history, having fought a border war from 1998 to 2000 after Eritrea gained independence in 1993. Relations briefly improved in 2018 when Abiy came to power, and Eritrea collaborated with Ethiopia against the TPLF during the civil war that ended in 2022. However, ties deteriorated again because Eritrea was excluded from the subsequent peace agreement. Current tensions are further amplified by regional instability in the Horn of Africa and broader geopolitical friction across the Red Sea.