Ethiopian troops mass heavy weapons near Eritrean border amid war fears

NAIROBI, Kenya - Ethiopian government forces have deployed tanks and heavy weapons toward the Eritrean border after advancing through northern Tigray, according to the latest conflict-monitoring reports on Wednesday.

The move has raised fears that renewed fighting could escalate into a confrontation between the neighboring countries, said the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), an independent organization that monitors armed conflicts worldwide.

“Eyewitnesses observed a substantial convoy of tanks and heavy weaponry advancing from Adigrat toward Fatsi and Zalambessa,” according to ACLED, referring to two key strategic towns on the Eritrean frontier.

ACLED reported that the movement began overnight Monday and continued Tuesday, following the capture of the towns by Ethiopian troops and allied Tigray Peace Force (TPF) fighters.

Eritrea has rejected Ethiopian accusations of military incursions, with Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel accusing Addis Ababa of pursuing “an unprovoked war of aggression.”

The Eritrean government has also urged international intervention, with Foreign Minister Osman Saleh urging the UN Security Council to “take the requisite deterrent measures against it in accordance with Chapter VII of the UN Charter.”

The Critical Threats Project, a US-based security research organization, said in its Tuesday assessment that Ethiopian troops had advanced approximately 37 kilometers (23 miles) north from Adigrat to Zalambessa without encountering substantial resistance.

It also reported that Eritrean troops had established defensive positions north of Zalambessa, citing open-source military monitoring, although the extent of Eritrea's deployment could not be independently confirmed.

ACLED said Eritrean forces previously stationed along the Zalambessa-Fatsi corridor withdrew across the border Monday, while rival Tigrayan fighters retreated toward Debre Damo and Irob.

The withdrawal does not establish that all Eritrean troops have left Ethiopian territory, with the situation along other sections of the border remaining unclear.

The military advances are part of an Ethiopian counteroffensive against forces linked to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), whose renewed campaign has destabilized northern Ethiopia.

The TPF is aligned with Ethiopia's federal government, while the rival Tigray Defense Forces are associated with the TPLF.

The latest fighting has also brought Ethiopia and Eritrea into an increasingly hostile diplomatic confrontation.

Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of sending troops into Tigray and supporting armed opposition groups, allegations Asmara denies.

In a letter to the UN Security Council, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos warned that his country had "no option but to defend itself against Eritrea."

Eritrea responded by accusing Ethiopia of threatening its sovereignty and attempting to justify military action against its territory.

The dispute is further complicated by Ethiopia's longstanding demand for access to the Red Sea, which Eritrea views as a potential threat to its territorial integrity, particularly regarding the strategic port of Assab.

Landlocked since Eritrea gained independence in 1993, Ethiopia has repeatedly described maritime access as essential to its economic development.

The two countries fought a border war from 1998 to 2000 before restoring diplomatic relations in 2018. Eritrean troops later supported Ethiopia's federal government during the 2020-2022 Tigray war, but relations deteriorated after the Pretoria peace agreement.

The renewed military buildup threatens to undermine that agreement and raises concerns that fighting inside Ethiopia could spread across the border.