Ethiopian forces have made gains against Tigrayan rebels as tensions with neighbouring Eritrea intensify, raising fears that the conflict could spread into a regional war.
The two countries traded accusations on Friday, with Ethiopia alleging Eritrean involvement in the fighting in its northern Tigray region, while Eritrea accused Addis Ababa of launching an unprovoked war.
Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos described Eritrea’s actions as “a blatant act of aggression” that entitled his country to defend itself.
Eritrea’s Information Minister, Yemane Gebremeskel, rejected the accusation, saying his country was facing “an unprovoked war of aggression” from Ethiopia.
The diplomatic dispute follows the severing of relations between the two countries last week. A foreign security source estimated that between 5,000 and 8,000 Eritrean troops were in Tigray, although the situation remains difficult to verify independently because of limited media access.
Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s military has pushed back the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), reportedly capturing the regional capital, Mekelle, and launching drone strikes against Eritrean forces in the area.
Witnesses told AFP that government-aligned forces had also entered Shire on Friday, while the rebels were reported to have lost control of Adigrat.
A resident of Shire said shops had closed as residents organised neighbourhood patrols to prevent looting.
An aid worker told AFP that rebel fighters and local officials had abandoned the city earlier in the week, adding that four people were killed in exchanges of fire linked to looting.
The rebels were reportedly withdrawing towards Sheraro, near the Eritrean border, according to a Tigrayan official from a faction opposed to the TPLF leadership.
Ethiopian Airlines announced that flights to Mekelle would resume on Sunday, in a sign of increased government confidence following its military gains.
Kjetil Tronvoll, a regional specialist at Oslo New University College, told AFP that the Ethiopian government could appoint a new interim administration for Tigray. He described the TPLF as “withering”, citing low morale and defections among its fighters.
However, the advances have heightened concerns that Ethiopia could extend its military operations into Eritrea. The landlocked country has repeatedly called for direct access to the sea, a demand Eritrea views as a possible threat to its sovereignty, particularly over the port of Assab.
Gebremeskel linked Ethiopia’s position on Red Sea access to what he described as previous intentions to invade Eritrea.
The two countries fought a devastating border war between 1998 and 2000 before relations improved after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took office in 2018. Eritrean forces later fought alongside Ethiopian troops during the 2020–2022 conflict against the TPLF.
Relations deteriorated after that war, with Eritrea expressing dissatisfaction with its conclusion and concern over the possibility of an Ethiopian invasion.
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