Overview
- Ethiopia’s foreign ministry, in an October 2 letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, accuses Eritrea and an “extremist” TPLF faction of financing, mobilizing and directing armed groups, including in Amhara, and labels Eritrea the principal architect.
- Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Ghebremeskel dismisses the claims as a lying charade and points to Ethiopian statements on securing sea access as provocative.
- The TPLF denies collusion, warns the federal government appears to be preparing a new war, and asks for mediation by the African Union and the wider international community.
- An analysis citing Addis Standard reports Ethiopia alleges an Eritrea–TPLF alliance called “Tsimdo” aided recent Fano operations in Amhara and accuses Asmara of violating the 2022 Pretoria deal by keeping troops in Tigray.
- Tensions have escalated since the Tigray war despite the 2018 rapprochement, with disputes over Ethiopia’s push for Red Sea access and Eritrean concerns over the port of Assab shaping the standoff.