Eritrea Briefs Foreign Diplomats on Rising Tensions With Ethiopia

Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh briefed foreign diplomats in Asmara regarding escalating tensions with Ethiopia, accusing Addis Ababa of instigating regional instability and preparing for an unjustified invasion.

Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh held a briefing in Asmara for foreign diplomatic representatives to address the growing political and military tension between Eritrea and neighboring Ethiopia. During the meeting, the minister stated that the Ethiopian government was stoking instability in the region and moving toward an unjustified invasion.

According to the briefing, assertions made by senior Ethiopian officials regarding rights to Red Sea access represent an act of war directed against Eritrea’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The foreign minister also accused Addis Ababa of providing military and logistical support to Eritrean opposition groups, while engaging in proxy military activities that risk expanding regional conflict.

The diplomatic briefing comes amid heightened friction following the resumption of fighting in late September between federal government forces and Tigray forces in northern Ethiopia. Both nations severed full diplomatic ties earlier in the month, with Ethiopia ordering ten Eritrean diplomats to leave the country and closing its embassy in Asmara, prompting a reciprocal severance of ties by the Eritrean government.

The United States recently expressed deep concern over the escalating diplomatic and military standoff, urging all Horn of Africa nations to respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Meanwhile, Eritrea has reportedly written to the African Union to restore its normal representation after its diplomats based in Addis Ababa were expelled.