Eritrea has asked the United Nations to take what it called “deterrent measures” after accusing Ethiopia of making a “declaration of war” amid renewed fighting linked to the Tigray conflict.

Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh made the request in a letter to the UN. He warned that the confrontation could cause “huge devastation to the peoples of both countries and destabilize the whole region.”

The appeal followed accusations from Ethiopia that Eritrea had launched an “all-out invasion” and that Eritrean troops had moved as far as 60 kilometres into Tigray. Eritrea denied that its forces had entered Ethiopian territory and said Ethiopia’s claim was intended to justify what it described as a war of aggression.

Conflicting accounts from Tigray

The competing claims could not be independently established in the report. Ethiopia and Eritrea continued to accuse each other of starting the war over Tigray, while reports also said Eritrean troops had been pushed back or withdrawn from positions near a strategic town.

People in Adigrat said Ethiopian government forces and allied militias had entered the city. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front had previously controlled Adigrat.

Residents described difficult conditions after the fighting. Hagos Woldegebriel said children and older people were going hungry and that sick people were dying because medical treatment was unavailable.

“Children and the elderly are suffering from hunger. Sick people are dying due to a lack of medical treatment,” he said.

Teame Lemlem, who had been displaced from Zalambessa, said banks remained closed and food supplies were running low.

“Banks are closed, and the public is running out of food supplies. People are also dying without medical care. If peace prevails, it would bring us great hope,” Lemlem said.

Long-running regional tensions

Ethiopian forces have pushed back the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and seized Mekelle, the group’s capital, according to the report. The conflict follows attacks by rebels against federal forces in northern Ethiopia the previous month. Ethiopia has also accused Eritrea of supporting rebels in Tigray.

The dispute is part of a wider deterioration in relations between the neighbouring countries. Eritrea became independent from Ethiopia in 1993, and the two countries fought a deadly border war from 1998 to 2000.

Relations improved after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power in 2018, but have worsened again in recent years. Ethiopia, which is landlocked, has repeatedly insisted that it has a right to direct access to the sea. Eritrea views that demand as a threat to invade and take its port at Assab.

Tigray fighters battled Ethiopian government forces backed by Eritrea during a devastating war from 2020 to 2022. The latest accusations have revived concerns over the possibility of broader regional instability.