Ethiopia Accuses Eritrea of Sending Troops Into Tigray, Demands Immediate Withdrawal

ADDIS ABABA — Ethiopia has accused neighbouring Eritrea of deploying troops inside its territory, particularly in the northern Tigray region, and demanded their immediate withdrawal as renewed fighting raises fears of a wider conflict in the Horn of Africa.

Ethiopia's government communication service minister, Enatalem Melese, said all foreign forces operating inside Ethiopian territory must leave without delay, singling out Eritrean troops allegedly present in Tigray.

"All foreign forces operating inside our sovereign territory must withdraw immediately," Melese told Bloomberg.

The accusation comes amid renewed clashes in northern Ethiopia, where federal government forces and Tigrayan fighters have again confronted each other, raising concerns over the fragile security situation in the region.

Ethiopia has previously accused Eritrea of supporting opposition forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the political and military movement that dominated the region before the outbreak of war in 2020. Eritrea has denied the allegations.

Relations between the two countries have deteriorated in recent months, with tensions fuelled by competing security interests and disagreements over developments in northern Ethiopia.

The diplomatic rift deepened after Ethiopia closed its embassy in Asmara, while Eritrea subsequently severed diplomatic relations with its neighbour, further straining ties between the two countries.

The latest accusations risk aggravating an already volatile situation in the Horn of Africa, where disputes between neighbouring states increasingly overlap with internal conflicts and competing regional interests.

Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a devastating border war between 1998 and 2000, which killed tens of thousands of people. Relations improved following a landmark peace agreement in 2018, but the rapprochement has since come under renewed strain.

Eritrea also played a significant role in the two-year war in Tigray, which began in November 2020 when Ethiopian federal forces and their allies fought the TPLF-led regional government.

The conflict formally ended with the signing of the Pretoria peace agreement in November 2022, but tensions have persisted, with unresolved political disputes and security concerns continuing to threaten stability in the region.

The renewed fighting in Tigray has heightened fears that Ethiopia's internal tensions could spill across its borders, particularly if allegations of Eritrean military involvement lead to further confrontation between the two countries.

A direct military confrontation between Ethiopia and Eritrea could have far-reaching consequences for the wider Horn of Africa, a strategically important region bordering the Red Sea and home to several overlapping security and political rivalries.

The latest developments come as regional governments face mounting pressure to prevent renewed hostilities and avoid a broader conflict that could further destabilise an already fragile region.

GAROWE ONLINE