Africa-Press. Eritrea has rejected accusations by Ethiopia alleging military aggression and support for armed groups on Ethiopian territory, describing them as “false and fabricated” and part of a hostile campaign driven by Addis Ababa.
Ethiopia’s foreign minister had accused Eritrea of carrying out military aggression and backing armed groups operating inside Ethiopia, amid recent clashes between Tigray forces and the Ethiopian army that have raised fears of a renewed conflict.
In a statement, Eritrea’s Ministry of Information said the “clearly false and fabricated accusations issued by the Ethiopian foreign minister are astonishing in their tone, content, hidden motives and overall objectives.”
The ministry added that the allegations represent “yet another regrettable act in a series of hostile campaigns against Eritrea for more than two years,” while stressing that Asmara has no desire to escalate tensions.
The two long-time rivals fought a war between 1998 and 2000 before signing a peace agreement in 2018. They later became allies during Ethiopia’s two-year war against the Tigray regional authorities, but relations have sharply deteriorated since.
In a letter dated February 7, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gideon Timotheos accused Eritrean forces of occupying parts of the shared border for an extended period and providing material support to armed groups operating inside Ethiopia.
Repeated statements by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed asserting that landlocked Ethiopia has a right to access the sea have also angered Eritrea, a Red Sea state, with many viewing the remarks as an implicit threat of military action.
