Micah Jonah
February 9, 2026
Ethiopia has accused neighbouring Eritrea of military aggression and of backing armed groups operating inside Ethiopian territory, raising fresh concerns over stability in the Horn of Africa.
The accusation was contained in a formal letter from Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister, Gedion Timothewos, to his Eritrean counterpart, Osman Saleh, according to Ethiopian officials who confirmed the document.
Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a bitter border war between 1998 and 2000 before signing a peace agreement in 2018. The two countries later became allies during Ethiopia’s two year conflict with regional authorities in the Tigray region. However, relations have deteriorated sharply since the 2022 deal that ended the Tigray war, an agreement to which Eritrea was not a signatory.
In the letter dated February 7, Gedion accused Eritrean forces of occupying Ethiopian territory along sections of their shared border for an extended period and of providing material support to militant groups within Ethiopia.
He described the alleged incursions as acts of outright aggression rather than mere provocations and called for the immediate withdrawal of Eritrean troops as well as an end to all cooperation with armed groups.
Gedion warned that recent developments pointed to a possible escalation, citing joint military activities involving Eritrean forces and Ethiopian armed groups near the northwestern border areas.
An Eritrean government spokesperson said officials were still verifying whether the letter had been formally delivered to the foreign ministry and did not immediately respond to the substance of the allegations.
Tensions between the two countries have also been heightened by repeated statements from Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed asserting Ethiopia’s right to access the sea. Eritrea, which sits along the Red Sea coast, has viewed such comments as implicit threats.
Despite the sharp accusations, Ethiopia said it remained open to dialogue if Eritrea respected its territorial integrity. Gedion stated that Addis Ababa was willing to engage in good faith negotiations on all outstanding issues, including maritime access and the use of the Eritrean port of Assab.
Recent clashes involving Tigrayan forces and Ethiopian troops have further raised fears of a return to wider conflict, with regional and international observers closely monitoring developments in the strategically important Horn of Africa.
