The Ethiopian government has issued a formal demand for the immediate withdrawal of Eritrean forces from its territory, accusing its northern neighbor of “outright aggression” and collaboration with domestic rebel groups. In a stern letter dated February 7, 2026, addressed to Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh, Ethiopia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gedion Timothewos, detailed an escalating pattern of military incursions along their shared northwestern and northeastern borders.
Addis Ababa alleges that Eritrean troops have not only occupied Ethiopian land for a “considerable period” but have recently pushed deeper into the country. The letter further accuses Asmara of conducting joint military maneuvers with unnamed Ethiopian armed groups, believed to be affiliated with the Fano militia in the Amhara region, and providing them with material support and weapons to destabilize the federal government.
This diplomatic rupture marks a new low in the volatile relationship between the former allies. While Eritrea fought alongside Ethiopian federal forces during the 2020–2022 Tigray War, ties soured after Asmara was excluded from the subsequent Pretoria Peace Accord. Tensions have been further inflamed by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s recent public declarations that sovereign access to the Red Sea is an “existential” necessity for landlocked Ethiopia, a stance Eritrea views as a threat to its territorial integrity.
Eritrean officials have dismissed the accusations as “cheap and despicable lies,” characterizing them as a “false flag” operation intended to justify a new war. Eritrean Minister of Information Yemane Gebremeskel argued that the Ethiopian leadership is attempting to camouflage its own “reckless agenda” for sea access by painting Eritrea as the aggressor.
Despite the hostile rhetoric, the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry indicated it remains open to dialogue if Eritrea respects its sovereignty. The letter suggested that a full withdrawal could pave the way for negotiations on mutual interests, including maritime affairs and access to the Port of Assab. International observers, however, fear that the Horn of Africa is inching closer to a full-scale conventional conflict as both nations reinforce their borders and engage in a high-stakes war of words.
This escalation represents a significant threat to regional stability. The shift from wartime alliance to potential combatants underscores the fragile nature of peace in the Horn and highlights the complex geopolitical competition over Red Sea trade routes that continues to define the region’s security landscape in 2026.
