Ethiopian government troops and allied militias entered the northern city of Adigrat on Saturday following reports that Eritrean forces had withdrawn from positions near the strategic border city, residents said, as tensions between the two Horn of Africa neighbours continued to escalate.
Three residents told Reuters they witnessed Ethiopian soldiers and allied militia fighters entering Adigrat on Saturday morning. One reported seeing military vehicles and troops patrolling the streets.
However, Reuters could not independently establish whether Ethiopian forces had secured full control of the city, located approximately 30 kilometres (19 miles) from the Eritrean border.
Ethiopia’s military did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while local officials could not be reached.
The developments follow several days of reported clashes and explosions around Adigrat, raising concerns that the confrontation could escalate into a wider regional conflict.
According to the US-based conflict monitoring organisation ACLED, Ethiopian forces conducted drone strikes against Eritrean positions near Adigrat on Wednesday and Thursday, prompting Eritrean troops to withdraw.
Residents also reported explosions outside the city on Friday, with one witness describing repeated blasts overnight and into the morning.
Earlier this week, Ethiopia informed members of the United Nations Security Council that Eritrean troops had allegedly advanced as far as 60 kilometres (37 miles) into the northern Tigray region.
Addis Ababa warned that the reported presence of foreign troops on Ethiopian territory could force it to take military action in self-defence.
Eritrea has categorically rejected allegations of an incursion, accusing Ethiopia of fabricating the claims to justify a planned military offensive.
Reuters has been unable to independently verify the allegations.
Dispute over Red Sea access fuels tensions
The latest confrontation comes amid worsening relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea, driven partly by Addis Ababa’s longstanding ambition to regain access to the Red Sea.
Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel said Friday that his country had exercised restraint despite what he described as increasingly aggressive Ethiopian rhetoric.
He accused Ethiopia of pursuing a war of aggression following Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s 2023 declaration that securing sovereign access to the sea was a national priority.
Ethiopia became landlocked in 1993 after Eritrea gained independence. Addis Ababa has repeatedly described maritime access as essential to its economic future while maintaining that any agreement would be reached through peaceful negotiations.
The dispute has become increasingly contentious as both countries face growing security challenges along their shared border.
Ethiopia has also accused Eritrea of supporting a rebel alliance fighting federal government forces in Tigray, Amhara and Afar since September 23.
Asmara has denied providing support to the insurgents.
The renewed hostilities represent the most serious escalation in northern Ethiopia since the devastating Tigray war of 2020–2022, which killed hundreds of thousands of people.
Ethiopia and Eritrea formally ended two decades of hostility with a landmark peace agreement in 2018, earning Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize.
Eritrean troops subsequently fought alongside Ethiopian federal forces during the Tigray conflict, but relations between the former allies deteriorated as that war drew to a close.
With rival accusations mounting and military operations reported near the border, fears are growing that renewed fighting could undermine stability across the Horn of Africa and the wider Red Sea region.
