Ethiopia and Eritrea trade accusations as fighting escalates in Tigray

Ethiopia and Eritrea have traded accusations at the United Nations as fighting intensifies in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region.

Ethiopia says Eritrean troops crossed its border and advanced into Tigray; Eritrea denies this and says the accusation could be a pretext for an Ethiopian attack.

The fighting escalated after a rebel alliance that includes the Tigray People’s Liberation Front launched attacks on government forces across Tigray, Amhara and Afar.

Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a deadly border war from 1998 to 2000, then became allies during Ethiopia’s 2020–2022 Tigray war.

Relations have since worsened over the peace deal that ended that war and Ethiopia’s demand for access to the Red Sea, which Eritrea fears could threaten its sovereignty.

The dispute matters because a conflict between the neighbours could destabilise the wider Horn of Africa and affect Red Sea security.

Ethiopia has invoked its right to self-defence at the UN, while Eritrea has urged the Security Council to condemn what it calls Ethiopia’s declaration of war; neither country’s next steps are specified.