Ethiopia has accused neighbouring Eritrea of military aggression and of supporting armed groups operating inside Ethiopian territory, signalling a sharp deterioration in relations between the two former allies.
According to a letter dated 7 February and seen by Reuters, Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister, Gedion Timothewos, alleged that Eritrean forces have occupied parts of Ethiopian territory along their shared border for an extended period and have provided material support to militant groups within Ethiopia.
“The incursion of Eritrean troops further into Ethiopian territory are not just provocations but acts of outright aggression,” Gedion wrote in the letter addressed to Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh. He called for the immediate withdrawal of Eritrean forces and an end to all cooperation with armed groups operating inside Ethiopia.
The accusations come against the backdrop of a long and complex relationship between the two countries. Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a bloody border war between 1998 and 2000 before signing a peace deal in 2018. They later became allies during Ethiopia’s two-year conflict against regional authorities in the northern Tigray region.
However, Eritrea was not a signatory to the 2022 agreement that ended the Tigray war, and relations between the two nations have since soured. Recent clashes between Tigrayan forces and Ethiopian troops have heightened fears of renewed instability in the region.
In the letter, Gedion warned of the risk of further escalation, citing what he described as joint military manoeuvres between Eritrean forces and Ethiopian armed groups near the northwestern border.
An Eritrean government spokesperson said officials were checking whether the letter had been formally delivered to the foreign ministry. Eritrea has not yet issued a substantive response to the allegations.
Tensions have also been fuelled by repeated public statements from Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed asserting that landlocked Ethiopia has a right to access the sea. These comments have been viewed in Eritrea, which sits along the Red Sea coast, as an implied threat of military action.
Despite the sharp accusations, Gedion said Ethiopia remained open to dialogue, provided Eritrea respected its territorial integrity. He noted that Addis Ababa was willing to engage in good-faith negotiations on all matters of mutual interest, including maritime issues and potential access to the Red Sea through Eritrea’s port of Assab.
The exchange underscores growing strain between two countries whose fragile peace now appears increasingly at risk.
Melissa Enoch
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