Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of preparing to wage war in collusion with an opposition faction, marking a dangerous escalation in tensions between the two Horn of Africa neighbours. The accusation, contained in a letter from Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, warns that Eritrea and a hardline faction of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) are “funding, mobilizing, and directing armed groups” inside Ethiopia.
The letter, seen by AFP, claims Eritrea is backing militias in Ethiopia’s Amhara region, particularly the Fano group, which has been battling the federal government. The minister alleged that this alliance is part of a broader strategy to destabilise Ethiopia and prevent it from launching operations to regain access to the Red Sea—a key national priority since Addis Ababa began pushing for coastal access in late 2023.
Relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea have sharply deteriorated after years of uneasy peace. The two countries fought a brutal border war between 1998 and 2000 that claimed tens of thousands of lives. Although Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki restored ties in 2018, their partnership has since unraveled over Ethiopia’s renewed maritime ambitions.
Eritrea, which gained control of the Red Sea coastline when it became independent in 1993, has dismissed Ethiopia’s renewed push for sea access as “crass and pathetic.” Eritrea’s Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel accused Addis Ababa’s leadership of an “obsession” with the Red Sea and the River Nile.
The situation is further complicated by Ethiopia’s internal unrest. The Fano militias, once allies of Abiy’s government, now accuse it of targeting the Amhara ethnic group and have intensified their campaign to topple the administration.
As accusations fly, the Horn of Africa faces growing instability, with the Red Sea’s strategic importance making any conflict potentially catastrophic for the region and beyond.
