Eritrea has urged the international community to pressure Ethiopia into respecting its neighbors’ sovereignty and territorial integrity as tensions escalate between the two Horn of Africa nations.
Once fierce adversaries, Ethiopia and Eritrea signed a peace deal in 2018 after decades of conflict.
However, their relationship has deteriorated since the 2020-2022 Tigray war, during which Eritrea supported Ethiopia against the Tigrayan forces.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s ambitions to secure maritime access for landlocked Ethiopia have fueled new tensions.
Eritrea has accused Ethiopia of seeking control over the strategic port of Assab, raising fears of renewed hostilities.
Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel criticized Ethiopia’s “misguided and outdated ambitions for maritime access and naval bases.”
In a post on X late Tuesday, he called on global powers to pressure Ethiopia to respect international borders. He also dismissed claims that Eritrea was preparing for war as “false accusations.”
Ethiopian authorities have not responded to these statements. Meanwhile, concerns over military activity persist.
In February, the NGO Human Rights Concern Eritrea (HRCE) reported an alleged nationwide military mobilization for citizens under 60, though independent verification remains elusive.
A security source recently claimed that convoys carrying weapons were moving towards Ethiopia’s northern Afar region, which borders Eritrea.
General Tsadkan Gebretensae, a key strategist for Tigrayan forces, warned that war “could break out at any moment.”
The Horn of Africa remains fragile after the brutal Tigray conflict, which claimed at least 600,000 lives.
Renewed hostilities would further destabilize a region already grappling with political strife and humanitarian crises.
