Sun 11 October 2026:
Mutual Accusations Escalate as Both Sides Report Troop Movements
Eritrea has asked the United Nations to impose “deterrent measures” following what it described as Ethiopia’s “declaration of war” in the ongoing conflict involving the Tigray region.
The request came a day after Ethiopia, in a letter to the Security Council, accused Eritrea of launching an “all-out invasion,” claiming that Eritrean troops had advanced as far as 60 kilometres (37 miles) into Ethiopia’s Tigray region.
In a separate letter sent to the council on Saturday, Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh stated that the allegations of an Eritrean incursion formed part of an Ethiopian strategy to justify a war of aggression. He called on the UN to intervene, citing Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which permits a range of actions from sanctions to the use of military force.
The neighbouring countries have each blamed the other for initiating hostilities over Tigray, with Ethiopia asserting that Eritrea is supporting rebel forces there.
Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh on Saturday said the claims of Eritrean incursion were part of an Ethiopian plan to justify a war of aggression
Rebel Alliance Attacks and Reported Eritrean Involvement
An alliance of seven armed groups launched attacks against federal Ethiopian forces in the northern region last month in an effort to overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.
Eritrean forces have since reportedly entered Ethiopian territory, and Addis Ababa has accused Asmara of supporting the rebel Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
This week, the Ethiopian army drove TPLF fighters back and captured the regional capital, Mekelle. It also reported conducting drone strikes against Eritrean troops in the area.
“Eritrea requests the UN Security Council to forcefully condemn Ethiopia’s deplorable declaration of war against Eritrea … and take the requisite deterrent measures,” Eritrea’s Saleh said in the letter on Saturday.
He warned that Ethiopia’s actions would cause “huge devastation to the peoples of both countries and destabilise the whole region”.
Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos on Friday accused Eritrea of “a blatant act of aggression that engages Ethiopia’s inherent right to self-defence”.
Timothewos cited Ethiopia’s right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter, though he did not detail any specific measures the country was taking.
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Analyst Describes Letters as Posturing
Faisal Roble, a Horn of Africa specialist, believes both sides are “preparing for the last phase of an open conflict”.
“There is really no doubt that both of them are inching towards an open conflict,” he told Al Jazeera from the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.
“Whatever they write to the United Nations, it is just posturing and making sure that they have some sort of international support on their side,” the analyst added.
‘Deceitful Attempts’ and Long-Standing Disputes
In his letter, Saleh described Ethiopia’s actions as “deceitful attempts to rationalise its brazen acts of war”, asserting that they were “hollow in substance”.
Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel accused Ethiopia on Friday of pursuing aggression against Eritrea through its demands for sovereign access to the Red Sea. Writing on X, he did not explicitly confirm or deny the reported troop crossings.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy reiterated on Monday that Ethiopia must have access to the Red Sea.
Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993, after which the two countries fought a deadly border war from 1998 to 2000.
Relations improved after Abiy took office in 2018 but have deteriorated again in recent years.
Landlocked Ethiopia has repeatedly insisted on its right to direct sea access, a demand Eritrea views as a threat to seize its port at Assab.
TPLF fighters previously battled Ethiopian government forces—then supported by Eritrea—in a devastating war from 2020 to 2022.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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