Eritrea Accuses Ethiopia of Fabricating Reports of Border Incursion
There are growing concerns that tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea could reignite, with Eritrea firmly rejecting reports of its troops crossing into Ethiopian territory as false.
– On Saturday, Ethiopia’s foreign minister sent a letter to Eritrea’s government, demanding the withdrawal of Eritrean soldiers. The letter characterized Eritrea’s actions as outright aggression, alleging involvement in joint military maneuvers with Ethiopian rebels and supplying them with weapons.
– Eritrea’s response highlighted what it described as a spiral of hostile campaigns against Eritrea for more than two years. The historical backdrop of this conflict is significant; Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia three decades ago, following a brutal border war from 1998 to 2000 that resulted in over 100,000 casualties. A peace agreement was never fully realized, and relations only started to improve when Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed traveled to Asmara in 2018, an effort that later earned him a Nobel Peace Prize.
– Recent developments have sparked fears of conflict once more. Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos claimed in his letter that the Government of Eritrea has chosen the path of further escalation. He accused Eritrean troops of incursion into northeastern Ethiopia and carrying out military exercises with rebel groups in the northwest, which he described as provocations and acts of outright aggression.
The Tensions Over Access to the Sea
One major point of contention is Ethiopia’s demand for access to the sea. Prime Minister Abiy has labeled this issue as existential for Ethiopia, calling the loss of port access due to Eritrea’s independence a mistake. In his communication, he suggested that if Eritrean forces withdraw, the two nations could discuss this critical matter, potentially including access to the port of Assab.
Eritrea’s Strong Denial
Eritrea’s information ministry dismissed Ethiopia’s accusations as patently false and fabricated, noting that the tone and substance of the claims were astounding. They emphasized that Eritrea is not interested in engaging in meaningless acrimony that could exacerbate the current situation.
In a troubling escalation, last week, Prime Minister Abiy publicly accused Eritrean troops of committing massacres during the 2020-2022 civil war in Tigray, allegations previously denied by Eritrea in the wake of reports of killings in the historic city of Aksum.
– Ethiopia has now accused Eritrea of supporting Tigrayan rebels who oppose the peace deal that concluded the civil war. Last month, Ethiopian police reportedly seized thousands of rounds of ammunition purportedly sent by Eritrea to these rebels. Eritrea has countered, claiming Ethiopia is fabricating these stories to justify engaging in a long-desired conflict.
As both countries navigate this precarious situation, international observers remain watchful, fearing that any misstep could lead to a resurgence of violence in a region still shaken by recent history.