Ethiopia has ordered neighboring Eritrea to immediately withdraw its troops from Ethiopian territory, accusing Asmara of outright aggression and supporting insurgent groups in a sharply worded diplomatic letter that has escalated tensions between the two Horn of Africa nations.
In a letter dated Saturday, February 7, 2026, and addressed to Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh Mohammed, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos accused Eritrea of occupying Ethiopian territory along parts of their shared border for an extended period and providing material support to armed groups operating inside Ethiopia.
“The incursions of Eritrean troops further into Ethiopian territory are not just provocations but acts of outright aggression,” Timothewos stated in the letter. He demanded that Asmara “withdraw its troops from Ethiopian territory and cease all forms of collaboration with rebel groups.”
The Ethiopian foreign minister characterized recent developments as evidence that Eritrea has chosen the path of further escalation. However, he indicated that Ethiopia remains open to dialogue if Eritrea respects its territorial integrity, stating that Addis Ababa is willing to engage in good faith negotiations on all matters of mutual interest, including maritime affairs and access to the Red Sea through the Eritrean port of Assab.
Eritrea’s government has not issued an immediate public response to the Ethiopian letter. The Ministry of Information in Asmara did not respond to requests for comment by Sunday afternoon.
Relations between the two Horn of Africa countries have long been fraught. In recent months, Addis Ababa has accused Eritrea of supporting insurgents on Ethiopian soil, allegations that Asmara has categorically denied. Eritrea’s Information Minister previously dismissed similar accusations as a false flag and a pretext to justify Ethiopian aggression.
The current diplomatic crisis adds to a troubled history between the two nations. Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a devastating border war from 1998 to 2000 that claimed an estimated 70,000 to 100,000 lives and left their shared border heavily militarized.
Relations improved briefly after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took office in 2018, with the two countries signing a historic peace agreement that ended two decades of hostility. The reconciliation earned Abiy the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize and brought hope for lasting peace in the region.
The allies cooperated during Ethiopia’s Tigray civil war from 2020 to 2022, with Eritrean forces fighting alongside Ethiopian federal troops against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). However, relations soured after Eritrea was excluded from the November 2022 Pretoria Peace Accord that ended the conflict.
Prime Minister Abiy publicly acknowledged for the first time in January 2026 that Eritrean forces committed atrocities during the Tigray war, a statement that further strained bilateral relations. Human rights organizations have documented widespread abuses, including massacres, sexual violence, and looting by Eritrean troops in Tigray.
Current tensions are fueled by mutual accusations and competing strategic interests. Ethiopia alleges that Eritrea is funding insurgent groups and actively preparing for war. The Ethiopian government claims that Eritrean forces have conducted joint military operations with rebel groups along the northwestern border region.
Eritrea, in turn, has accused landlocked Ethiopia of seeking to seize its Red Sea port of Assab as part of Addis Ababa’s push for sovereign sea access. Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki stated in December 2025 that his country did not want war but warned that Eritrea knows how to defend its nation.
The Assab port dispute has become a central flashpoint in the bilateral relationship. Ethiopia lost direct access to the sea when Eritrea gained independence in 1993, leaving the landlocked nation of more than 120 million people dependent on the port of Djibouti for over 90 percent of its maritime trade.
Prime Minister Abiy has publicly stated that regaining access to the Red Sea is essential for Ethiopia’s economic survival and national security. Ethiopian National Defence Force officials have described controlling a port as a survival interest worth paying any price for.
The port question has drawn in outside powers. In December 2025, media reports indicated that Egypt signed agreements to develop and upgrade both the port of Assab in Eritrea and the port of Doraleh in Djibouti. The agreements reportedly include infrastructure upgrades to allow Egyptian warships to refuel and resupply at both facilities.
Egypt and Ethiopia are already locked in a separate dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which Cairo claims constricts the flow of the Nile River and limits access to freshwater sources for Egypt’s population.
The African Union and regional bodies including the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) have called for peaceful resolution of the Ethiopia Eritrea tensions. The United Nations has not issued an official statement on the latest diplomatic exchange.
Despite the escalating rhetoric, there is no confirmed indication of significant troop buildup along the shared Ethiopia Eritrea border. However, Ethiopia has been parading military recruits and hardware on state television in what analysts describe as a show of strength.
Martin Plaut, a veteran journalist covering the region, noted that while there is no immediate evidence of mobilization for war, both capitals have hardened their positions and escalated public statements.
Mohamed Kheir Omer, a researcher and author who studies the Horn of Africa, warned of a drift towards conflict as both leaders escalate rhetoric and adopt increasingly rigid stances. He noted that Assab, though a small port, has grown to be viewed as a matter of destiny in both Addis Ababa and Asmara.
International observers fear that the war of words could spark a new conventional conflict. While the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry stated it believes the cycle of violence and mistrust can be broken through diplomacy, the rhetoric from both capitals has reached its most hostile level since the 2018 peace deal.
Ethiopia is also pursuing alternative maritime access options. In January 2024, the government signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland, the self declared independent region of Somalia, for access to the port of Berbera and the establishment of a potential naval base. The agreement has been rejected by Somalia, which considers Somaliland part of its territory.
