Ethiopia demanded that Eritrean forces immediately withdraw from its territory in an October 8 letter to the United Nations Security Council, warning that border incursions and military movements in the Tigray region have left the country with no choice of self-defense amid severed diplomatic ties.
In a communication addressed to the Security Council on October 8, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothius stated that the presence of foreign troops across the border forced the nation to defend itself against Eritrea
, according to details obtained by a senior Ethiopian government source. Diplomatic sources cited in the same reporting characterized the border crossing as an outright violation of national sovereignty.
Troop Movements and Clashes in Northern Tigray
On the ground, witnesses and experts reported seeing Eritrean soldiers operating inside northern Ethiopia during the week, heightening anxiety over a return to open conflict. Local sources told Eritrean army units pushing past the border to deploy around Adigrat in the northern Tigray region, roughly 40 kilometers south of the international boundary. Some of those units have reportedly moved southward toward Mekelle, the regional capital, which federal forces and allied Tigrayan groups previously took without a fight following the withdrawal of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.
Additional reporting via the Associated Press noted that a commander allied with the Ethiopian government confirmed the entry of Eritrean soldiers into two northern towns. Meanwhile, the conflict monitoring group Acled recorded that Eritrean forces crossed the frontier on Wednesday and faced drone strikes as they advanced further into the region.
Asmara Rejects the Accusations
Eritrea denies the allegations entirely. Yemane Qebremeskel, the Eritrean Information Minister, dismissed reports of troops stationed in Adigrat as a fabricated pretext designed by Addis Ababa to justify launching a war against Asmara.
The friction marks a severe breakdown in relations following a brief thaw that began with a peace agreement signed in 2018. Diplomatic ties snapped completely at the start of October after Ethiopia closed its embassy in Eritrea and expelled ten Eritrean diplomats over alleged activities threatening national security.
