A member of the Amhara special forces watches on at the border crossing with Eritrea in Humera, Ethiopia, on Nov. 22, 2020. Eduardo Soteras/AFP via Getty Images
In a dramatic reversal after more than two years of evading the issue, Ethiopia accused Eritrea at the U.N. Human Rights Council in July of occupation and abuses in its northern Tigray region. Eritrean troops had fought alongside Ethiopia’s army during the 2020-22 Tigray war and never fully withdrew. The 2022 Pretoria Agreement between Ethiopia and Tigray’s dominant party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), ended the war but strained Ethiopia and Eritrea’s relationship.
Tensions escalated with the latest salvo of accusations. In May, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki claimed Ethiopia was engaging in a weapons “purchasing spree” and conspiring against his government. Ethiopia followed with a diplomatic note in June accusing Eritrea and the TPLF of planning a joint “major offensive” within Ethiopia. Read more…