Tensions are rising in the Horn of Africa after Eritrea forcefully rejected Ethiopian claims that its troops are operating inside Ethiopian territory.
Asmara called the accusations “false and fabricated,” after Ethiopia demanded Eritrean forces withdraw, accusing them of backing insurgents fighting federal troops, particularly in the Amhara region.
Eritrea’s Information Minister says the allegations were part of a hostile campaign against his country and insisted Eritrea has no desire to escalate tensions.
Relations between the two neighbours have long been volatile. Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993, but the countries later fought a brutal border war that killed tens of thousands.
Although Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed once pursued peace, earning a Nobel Prize, the alliance fractured after the Tigray war, which killed at least 600,000 people.
Disputes over troop withdrawals, rebel alliances, and Ethiopia’s push for sea access continue to strain an already fragile relationship.
