Eritrea has appealed to the United Nations to take “deterrent measures” against what it described as Ethiopia’s “declaration of war” amid escalating tensions over the northern Ethiopian region of Tigray.
Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh made the appeal in a letter to the UN on Saturday, warning that the situation could cause “huge devastation to the peoples of both countries and destabilize the whole region”.
The request followed an accusation by Ethiopia a day earlier that Eritrean forces had launched an “all-out invasion”, with troops allegedly advancing up to 60 kilometres into Tigray.
Asmara has denied the allegation, which has heightened fears of a renewed full-scale conflict along the countries’ shared northern border.
Residents of Adigrat, a city in Tigray near the Eritrean border, said on Saturday that Ethiopian government forces and allied militia had entered the area.
The development came days after reports that Eritrean troops had been pushed back or withdrawn from positions near the strategic town.
Adigrat was previously under the control of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of supporting.
Residents have appealed to Ethiopian authorities for assistance, describing a worsening humanitarian situation marked by food shortages and limited access to healthcare.
“Children and the elderly are suffering from hunger. Sick people are dying due to a lack of medical treatment,” a resident, Hagos Woldegebriel, said.
Teame Lemlem, who was displaced from Zalambessa during an earlier conflict in the region, said essential supplies were running out as the crisis deepened.
“Banks are closed, and the public is running out of food supplies. People are also dying without medical care. If peace prevails, it would bring us great hope,” he said.
The latest escalation follows attacks launched by TPLF fighters against federal forces in Tigray last month. Eritrean forces have since been accused by Ethiopia of entering its territory, an allegation Asmara rejects.
Ethiopian forces have reportedly pushed back TPLF fighters and seized Mekelle, the regional capital, as fighting intensifies.
Eritrea has maintained that Ethiopia’s accusations of an incursion are part of a strategy to justify what it described as a war of aggression.
Both countries have accused each other of provoking the latest confrontation, with Ethiopia alleging that Eritrea is backing the Tigrayan rebels.
Eritrea became independent from Ethiopia in 1993, and the two countries fought a deadly border war between 1998 and 2000.
Relations improved in 2018 after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took office and pursued rapprochement with Asmara. However, tensions have resurfaced in recent years.
Ethiopia’s repeated calls for direct access to the sea have further strained relations. The landlocked country’s position has fuelled Eritrean concerns that Addis Ababa could seek to seize the port of Assab.
The two countries were also on opposing sides during the devastating 2020–2022 Tigray war, when Eritrean forces supported Ethiopian government troops against the TPLF.
The latest developments have renewed concerns that the long-standing rivalry between the neighbours could trigger another devastating conflict in the Horn of Africa.
