Horn of Africa neighbors at odds over alleged incursions

Eritrea has dismissed allegations by Ethiopia that Asmara has been providing direct material support to militant groups as “fabricated”

Eritrea has rejected Ethiopia’s accusations that it is engaging in military aggression and backing armed groups, describing the claims as “false” and “deplorable.” Tensions between the two countries have risen in recent years, partly over Addis Ababa’s efforts to secure access to the Red Sea.

Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos addressed a letter to his Eritrean counterpart, Osman Saleh Mohammed, on Saturday, accusing Eritrean forces of occupying Ethiopian territory for a “considerable period” and alleging that Asmara has been providing direct material assistance to militant groups.

“We have been calling for this violation of our territorial integrity and sovereignty to be rectified. These repeated calls have gone unheeded,” Timothewos wrote, adding that the Eritrean government had instead “chosen the path of further escalation.”

In a statement on Monday, Eritrea said the allegations were “fabricated” and formed part of what it described as a “pattern and spiral of hostile campaigns against Eritrea for more than two years.”

“The government of Eritrea has no appetite for, or desire to, engage in meaningless acrimony to add fuel and exacerbate the situation,” the Ministry of Information in Asmara stated.

READ MORE: Ethiopia seeks mediation to ease tensions with neighbor

The two countries fought a border war between 1998 and 2000 that left tens of thousands of people dead. A peace agreement signed in 2018 formally ended the conflict and restored diplomatic ties. Eritrean forces later backed Ethiopia’s federal troops during the Tigray war from 2020 to 2022.

However, bilateral ties have deteriorated in recent months amid claims from Addis Ababa that Asmara is preparing for war and coordinating with rebel groups operating in Ethiopia’s northern Amhara region.

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The Eritrean government has also opposed Ethiopia’s longstanding push to secure access to the Red Sea, warning that the move could destabilize the Horn of Africa and undermine prospects for cooperation.

Last October, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said he had sought international mediation, including discussions with China, Russia, the US, the African Union and the European Union, to help broker a “lasting solution” between Addis Ababa and Asmara.

On Saturday, Foreign Minister Timothewos reiterated Ethiopia’s preference for dialogue to end the “cycle of violence and mistrust” that has been a “defining feature” of relations between the two countries “for more than half a century.”