Wednesday February 19, 2025
Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki (L) and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (R) arrive together during a past diplomatic visit. CREDIT / EPC
Mogadishu (HOL) — Eritrea has dismissed claims from former Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome that it is preparing for war against Ethiopia, calling the allegations baseless and a diversion from Ethiopia’s internal struggles.
Teshome, in a statement published by Al Jazeera, accused Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki of “stoking tensions in northern Ethiopia” and using the ongoing crisis between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Ethiopian federal government to expand his influence. He urged immediate action to prevent another war in the Horn of Africa.
Eritrean Minister of Information Yemane Gebremeskel swiftly rebuffed the accusations, asserting on social media that “Ethiopia is the true source of instability in the region, not Eritrea.” He argued that the allegations were an attempt to deflect blame and justify Addis Ababa’s geopolitical maneuvers.
Relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea have remained fragile despite the 2018 peace agreement that formally ended two decades of hostility. Tensions escalated further following the outbreak of the Tigray war in November 2020, where Eritrean forces, alongside Ethiopian troops and Amhara militias, fought against the TPLF. The war resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced millions.
Teshome accused Afwerki of attempting to destabilize the region, including its neighbours, and criticized the Pretoria Agreement, the November 2022 deal that ended the Tigray conflict. He alleged that Eritrea undermined the peace process and opposed efforts to stabilize the region.
Gebremeskel rejected the claim, stating that Eritrean troops intervened “at the Ethiopian government’s request.” He added that Eritrea had “no interest in interfering in Ethiopia’s internal affairs” and that the Pretoria Agreement was “entirely an Ethiopian matter.”
The fallout from the Tigray war has also impacted economic ties. Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights to Asmara last summer following an Eritrean government directive. In October 2023, Eritrea hosted a trilateral meeting with Egypt and Somalia, signalling a shift in regional alliances.
Eritrea has also been accused of negotiating with Ethiopia for “legal and military access” to a seaport. Meanwhile, the maritime agreement between Ethiopia and Somaliland, granting Ethiopia direct access to the Gulf of Aden, has added another layer of geopolitical friction. Eritrea, a vocal opponent of the deal, warned that it risked exacerbating tensions in the Horn of Africa.
“Whenever war erupts in the Horn of Africa, it affects everyone,” Teshome warned, stressing the potential regional impact of renewed conflict.
