Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of engaging in military aggression and supporting armed groups
The foreign minister of Ethiopia has charged that Eritrea has engaged in military aggression and has provided support to armed groups within Ethiopian borders, as stated in a letter reviewed by Reuters and confirmed by the foreign ministry.
The two long-time adversaries, who fought each other from 1998 to 2000, reached a peace agreement in 2018 and became allies during Ethiopia’s two-year conflict with regional authorities in the northern Tigray region.
However, Eritrea was not involved in the 2022 agreement that resolved the Tigray conflict, and relations between the two countries have deteriorated into hostility since that time.
Recent confrontations between Tigrayan forces and Ethiopian troops have sparked concerns about a potential resurgence of conflict.
A spokesperson for the Eritrean government stated that officials were verifying if the letter had reached the foreign ministry.
The letter dated February 7 from Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos to his Eritrean counterpart, Osman Saleh, stated that Eritrean forces had occupied Ethiopian territory along sections of their shared border for a prolonged duration and had offered material support to militant groups active within Ethiopia. “The incursion of Eritrean troops further into Ethiopian territory… are not merely provocations but acts of outright aggression,” the letter asserted, urging for the immediate withdrawal of Eritrean forces and a cessation of all collaboration with armed groups.
Gedion indicated that recent developments suggested “further escalation,” referencing joint military manoeuvres involving Eritrean forces and Ethiopian armed groups close to the northwestern border.
Eritrea has reacted strongly to the repeated public statements made by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed regarding Ethiopia’s entitlement to sea access. Many in Eritrea, situated along the Red Sea, perceive these remarks as a veiled threat of military action.
In his letter, Gedion stated that Ethiopia was willing to engage in dialogue, provided that Eritrea honored its territorial integrity. He stated that Addis Ababa was prepared to participate in sincere negotiations regarding all issues of shared concern, encompassing maritime matters and access to the Red Sea via the Eritrean port of Assab.
