Ethiopia Warns Eritrea: Stop supporting rebels or prepare for war

Tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea are rising after Ethiopia ordered Eritrea to immediately remove its troops from Ethiopian land, bringing the two countries closer to potential conflict.

Relations between the neighboring countries have long been tense. Recently, Ethiopia accused Eritrea of supporting rebels on its soil, which Eritrea denies.

Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos sent a letter to his Eritrean counterpart on Saturday, saying, “Recent actions show Eritrea is choosing escalation. We demand that Eritrean troops leave Ethiopian territory and stop working with rebel groups.”

He called Eritrea’s actions “not just provocations but acts of aggression” but added that diplomacy could still prevent further conflict. “If Eritrea responds positively to our request to respect Ethiopia’s sovereignty, we are willing to negotiate in good faith,” he said.

Eritrea has not responded to these demands.

Eritrea, one of the world’s most secretive countries, gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after decades of conflict. The two countries later fought a border war from 1998 to 2000, which killed tens of thousands.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed initially sought peace with Eritrea, earning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019. Both countries later cooperated against Tigray rebels during the 2020–2022 conflict but disagreed over the Pretoria peace accord, which excluded Eritrea.

Ethiopia says Eritrea is preparing for war and supporting armed groups. Eritrea claims Ethiopia wants to take control of its port at Assab to gain access to the sea.