Eritrea urges UN Security Council to act against Ethiopia over alleged declaration of war

Eritrea has urged the UN Security Council to take deterrent measures against Ethiopia, accusing its neighbor of declaring war and warning that a military confrontation could destabilize the Horn of Africa.

In a letter to the Security Council, Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh called on members to “forcefully condemn Ethiopia’s deplorable declaration of war against Eritrea,” which he said will inflict “huge devastation to the peoples of both countries and destabilize the whole region.”

The appeal follows accusations by Ethiopia that Eritrean troops crossed into its northern Tigray region, where renewed fighting has heightened fears of another conflict between the neighboring countries.

“Ethiopia’s deceitful attempts to rationalize its brazen acts of war against a sovereign UN member state in ‘self-defense’ terms are hollow in substance and constitute an insult to the intelligence of the international community,” the letter said.

Eritrea also urged the council to “take the requisite deterrent measures against it in accordance with Chapter VII of the UN Charter.”

Chapter VII allows the Security Council to respond to threats to international peace through measures ranging from economic sanctions to the authorization of military force.

The Eritrean appeal came after Ethiopia informed the Security Council that it was taking steps to defend itself against what Addis Ababa described as Eritrean aggression.

In its own letter, Ethiopia accused Eritrean forces of entering its territory and occupying areas of northern Tigray and demanded their immediate withdrawal.

Eritrea has denied the allegations, maintaining that Ethiopia is using the claims to justify an offensive against its territory.

Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel has accused Addis Ababa of pursuing “an unprovoked war of aggression” over its longstanding demand for access to the Red Sea.

Gebremeskel cited remarks by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in October 2023, arguing that “Ethiopia has in essence declared a war of aggression against Eritrea” by seeking “sovereign access to the sea, through negotiations if possible and by force if necessary.”

Landlocked Ethiopia has repeatedly described maritime access as essential to its economic development, while Eritrea considers demands for sovereign access a threat to its territorial integrity, especially in relation to the Red Sea port of Assab.

The diplomatic confrontation intensified last week after Ethiopia expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats and closed its embassy in Asmara, prompting Eritrea to sever diplomatic relations.

The latest tensions come amid renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia, where federal forces have been battling an opposition alliance linked to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).

Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a border war between 1998 and 2000 before restoring relations in 2018. Eritrean troops later supported Ethiopia’s federal government during the 2020-2022 Tigray war, but relations between the former allies have since deteriorated sharply.

The confrontation has raised concerns about renewed cross-border hostilities in a region still struggling with the consequences of years of conflict.