Ethiopia warns Eritrea it will defend itself after reported troop advance into Tigray

Ethiopia warned Eritrea on Friday, 9 October, that it would defend itself after accusing Eritrean troops of entering Tigray in northern Ethiopia. Reports of troop movements and drone strikes near Adigrat have raised the stakes in a conflict already involving Ethiopia’s government and Tigrayan forces. The reported crossing, the reach of the advance and the effects of the strikes have not been independently established in full.

In a letter dated 8 October to members of the UN Security Council, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos described the alleged advance as a ‘blatant act of aggression’ and said Ethiopia had no option but to defend itself, according to the BBC. Timothewos said Eritrean forces had moved as far as 60km into Tigray. The BBC reported the letter’s contents; the letter itself was not available for direct examination in this account.

What is reported about the Tigray crossing

The accounts of troop movements come from several distinct sources. The Associated Press reported that Tigray Peace Force commander Ermiyas Ababu said personnel under his command had reported Eritrean troops entering Adigrat on Tuesday and Idaga Hamus on Wednesday. His account was based on those personnel’s reports, rather than an observation AP said it could verify independently.

The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, or ACLED, said Eritrean forces crossed at Zelambessa on 7 October and moved towards the Adigrat–Idaga Hamus route. It also said Ethiopian federal forces targeted them with drones at Guada. AP said it could not independently verify either the commander’s account of the troop entries or ACLED’s account of the crossing and drone attack. Those limits matter when assessing Ethiopia’s claim about how far the troops advanced.

How Eritrea responded to Ethiopia’s warning

Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel rejected Ethiopia’s account of responsibility for the escalation. The BBC reported that he said Eritrea faced an ‘unprovoked war of aggression’ from Ethiopia. On Friday, he called the accusations against Asmara ‘duplicity in their most extreme forms’ and alleged that Ethiopia was supporting people he described as mercenaries seeking regime change in Eritrea. Those are Eritrea’s allegations, not established findings.

In remarks reported by AP, Gebremeskel said Eritrea was ‘not in the business of refuting wild allegations or narratives’. AP reported that he accused Ethiopia of threatening regional peace through its pursuit of sovereign access to the sea. In that statement, he did not explicitly confirm or deny the reported crossing. The BBC said Ethiopia’s prime minister’s ambition to secure access to an Eritrean Red Sea port had contributed to the deterioration in relations.

Why renewed fighting matters for Mekelle

The border reports come amid renewed fighting between Ethiopia’s government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, or TPLF. AP reported that fighting resumed in late September, undermining the November 2022 peace agreement that ended a two-year war. Eritrea fought alongside Ethiopia’s government against the TPLF during that war. Ethiopia now says Eritrea backs the TPLF; Eritrea denies that claim, according to the BBC. The TPLF joined six other opposition groups in an alliance announced the previous month, AP reported.

Relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea have also broken down diplomatically. AP reported that Ethiopia expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats and closed its embassy in Asmara, after which Eritrea announced that it was severing diplomatic ties. The collapse of those channels adds context to the competing public statements, but the available reporting does not establish what either government will do next.

Mekelle, Tigray’s main city, is about 115km south of Adigrat, according to the BBC. TPLF forces withdrew from Mekelle the previous week. AP reported that federal police and the government-allied Tigray Peace Force were handling security there after the withdrawal. It said local government offices remained closed on Friday while a new civilian administration awaited instructions.

AP also reported that Tigray’s television and radio stations had been off the air since the TPLF withdrawal. Ethiopia’s government promised to restore banking, electricity, telecommunications and water services, but gave no timetable. For residents, those unresolved service disruptions are an immediate consequence of the upheaval in Mekelle, separate from the still-disputed account of troop movements farther north.

What remains unconfirmed in the Ethiopia–Eritrea dispute

The accounts identify locations and dates for reported movements and strikes, but do not establish the number of troops involved, their current positions, casualties or the full extent of damage. Eritrea’s cited response does not settle whether its forces crossed the border. Ethiopia’s warning is clear; the military picture described by the governments, a conflict monitor and local accounts remains incomplete.