The Ethiopian government has accused neighbouring Eritrea of plotting war and supporting armed groups, in what marks a sharp escalation of tensions between the two Horn of Africa nations over access to the Red Sea.
In a letter dated October 2 and addressed to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister, Gedion Timothewos, alleged that Eritrea was working with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) to destabilise northern Ethiopia.
According to the letter, Eritrea and the TPLF were “funding, mobilising, and directing armed groups” in the Amhara region, where Ethiopian forces have been battling insurgents.
Eritrea has not yet issued an official response to the accusations.
The development rekindles decades-old hostilities between the two countries. Eritrea, which gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993, took control of the nation’s only coastline — a strategic Red Sea corridor Ethiopia has sought to regain access to.
A two-year border war (1998–2000) between the neighbours claimed tens of thousands of lives and left relations frozen until 2018, when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed signed a landmark peace agreement with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki — a move that earned Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize.
However, relations have soured again in recent years as Ethiopia’s government renews calls for sea access, a demand Asmara views as a threat to its sovereignty.
In his message to the UN, Minister Timothewos said Ethiopia still preferred dialogue and negotiation, but warned that Eritrea’s alleged actions could destabilise an already fragile Horn of Africa region.
