Ethiopian government forces have reached Zalambessa, a border town once held by Tigrayan rebels, according to people in contact with residents, as diplomats raced on Tuesday to prevent renewed war between the Horn of Africa’s neighbours.
Witnesses and a conflict monitor said Eritrean troops crossed into Zalambessa last week to support the rebels. It remained unclear on Tuesday whether Eritrean forces or Tigrayan fighters were still in the town.
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Asmara has denied sending troops into Ethiopia and urged the UN to take deterrent measures against Addis Ababa. Eritrea says Ethiopia’s allegations that its forces invaded amounted to a “declaration of war”.
Fighting erupted in Ethiopia last month after a rebel alliance led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) launched an offensive, reviving a conflict that killed hundreds of thousands between 2020-22.
With Ethiopia and Eritrea again appearing to support opposing sides, and conflicts continuing elsewhere in the region amid heightened tensions across the Red Sea, concerns are growing that the violence could spread more widely.
A counter-offensive by Ethiopia’s government has pushed the rebels out of several towns, sending them into a northern retreat.
By Tuesday, the army had advanced to Zalambessa, which has about 15,000 residents and lies on the Ethiopian side of the border with Eritrea, six sources said. They included four people in contact with residents, a diplomat and a conflict expert in touch with the warring parties.
A spokesperson for a pro-government militia declined to confirm that the military had taken the town.
Spokespeople for Ethiopia’s military and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
DUELLING UN LETTERS
Ethiopia and Eritrea fought for years before making peace in 2018. Eritrea later backed Ethiopia’s federal government during the 2020-2022 civil war in Tigray, but relations have deteriorated once again.
Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of supporting the rebels and told members of the Security Council that Eritrean forces had moved as far as 60 km (37 miles) into Ethiopian territory.
Eritrea’s Foreign Minister Osman Saleh has called on the Security Council to act against Addis Ababa in a letter seen by Reuters. The appeal invokes Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which permits measures including sanctions and military action.
Security Council members were scheduled to meet behind closed doors on Tuesday to discuss the situation in the Horn of Africa, according to the Greek presidency of the Security Council said.
Access to the sea has added another source of friction between the two countries.
Ethiopia retained a coastline for decades before Eritrea became independent from Addis Ababa in 1993. Addis Ababa considers the restoration of sea access an existential matter, but says it will pursue that goal through peace and dialogue.
Reporting by Nairobi newsroom; writing by Ammu Kannampilly; Editing by David Lewis
