ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopia has demanded that Eritrea “immediately withdraw its troops” from Ethiopian territory, alleging that Eritrean forces are working with rebel groups along its northwestern border, raising concerns over regional security.
Relations between the two Horn of Africa neighbours have long been strained, marked by years of political tensions and periodic security disputes.
In recent months, Addis Ababa has accused Eritrea of backing insurgent groups operating on Ethiopian soil—allegations that Asmara has repeatedly denied, dismissing them as unfounded.
“Developments over the last few days indicate that the Government of Eritrea has chosen the path of further escalation,” Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos said in a letter written to his Eritrean counterpart.
He called on Asmara to “withdraw its troops from Ethiopian territory and cease all forms of collaboration with rebel groups,” warning that such actions were “not merely provocations, but acts of outright aggression.”
Despite the sharp rhetoric, he said the long-running “cycle of violence and mistrust” between the two neighbours could still be broken through sustained diplomatic engagement.
Eritrea, one of the world’s most closed states, gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993. The two countries later fought a war from 1998 to 2000 that claimed tens of thousands of lives and left relations deeply scarred.
Although the two governments cooperated against rebels from Ethiopia’s Tigray region during the 2020–2022 conflict, ties later deteriorated over the subsequent peace accord, from which Eritrea was excluded.
The latest development comes amid a growing feud between the two neighbours in recent months, as Ethiopia has expressed its desire to secure access to Eritrea’s eastern Port of Assab.
The port was a central pillar of Ethiopia’s economy until 1991, when Eritrea won independence and Ethiopia became landlocked. Ethiopia currently routes about 90% of its maritime trade through Djibouti.
