Ethiopian drones targeted Eritrean troops in Tigray, worsening regional war risks.
Eritrea fears an invasion over Red Sea access despite former alliances.
Diplomatic relations severed while Ethiopia demands Eritrea's total military withdrawal.
The government forces have launched drone attacks on the Eritrean troops who crossed into Ethiopia’s Tigray region. This new wave of attacks raises the risk that the internal conflict in Ethiopia could trigger an all-out regional war.
Ethiopian government drones targeted the Eritrean troops on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, Reuters reported, quoting the conflict monitoring group Acled.
Military vehicles carrying soldiers were seen driving across Eritrea’s southern border into Tigray of Ethiopia on Wednesday, and they reached the town of Adigrat 25 miles (40km) south.
This was the first confirmed presence of Eritrean forces in northern Ethiopia after fighting broke out last month between Ethiopia's military and a rebel alliance.
Ethiopia’s foreign minister, Gedion Timothewos, said on X that in a meeting with UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed on Thursday, he "called for the immediate withdrawal of Eritrean forces from Ethiopian territory, and reaffirmed Ethiopia's right to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity in accordance with international law."
The diplomatic relationship between Ethiopia and Eritrea was soured last week when Addis Ababa alleged that Asmara was supporting the rebels. However, Eritrea has maintained that it has no role and has denied the accusation.
What Is Happening Between Ethiopia and Eritrea
Eritrea and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) have been bitter enemies for years. However, that old feud has taken a backseat because Eritrea now fears Ethiopia might launch an invasion to secure direct access to the Red Sea. As a result, Eritrea's bigger focus is stopping any potential Ethiopian land grab.
Meanwhile, fighting broke out on September 23 when the TPLF, teamed up with six other rebel groups, launched attacks against Ethiopian government forces across Tigray, Amhara, and Afar. The Ethiopian military fought back, and after TPLF fighters pulled out of Tigray’s capital, Mekelle, an allied group called the Tigray Peace Force moved in and took control of the city on October 4.
Between 2020 and 2022, the Ethiopian government and the TPLF fought a devastating civil war. Guardian reports that anywhere from 300,000 to 800,000 civilians lost their lives, with both sides and their allies accused of committing serious war crimes.
Eritrea actually stepped in to back the Ethiopian government during that war. This came after the two nations made peace in 2018, a breakthrough that helped earn Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019.
