Eritrea’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday, 4 October 2026, accused the Ethiopian government of pursuing what it described as an expansionist policy behind rising tensions in the Horn of Africa, stressing that Eritrea’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and internationally recognised borders were not open to negotiation or revision under political pressure or military threats.
Eritrea criticises Ethiopia’s Red Sea rhetoric
The ministry said in a paper issued by its Research and Documentation Department that Ethiopia’s ruling Prosperity Party had changed the terminology used in its discourse on access to the Red Sea in recent weeks, shifting to references to a “strategic priority”, “economic necessity” and “regional integration” after its earlier positions faced international objections.
Eritrea’s Foreign Ministry said the shift in language did not reflect any actual change in Ethiopian policy, accusing Addis Ababa of attempting to present its maritime demands as peaceful efforts, while continuing, according to Eritrea’s account, to promote domestically ideas involving the acquisition of Eritrean territory and ports, particularly the port of Assab.
It added that Ethiopian civilian and military officials had recently spoken about the possibility of military action against Eritrea, naming Ambassador Dina Mufti and General Bacha Debele. It accused them of promoting a vision that went beyond arrangements for the commercial use of ports to changing the existing border between the two countries, without independent confirmation of the allegations.
Asmara links tensions to Ethiopia’s internal crises
The ministry linked Ethiopia’s position towards Eritrea to the internal crises facing the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, saying that renewed fighting in Tigray and continuing conflicts in Amhara, Oromia and Afar resulted from the government’s choices and its management of the political transition since coming to power in 2018.
Asmara accused Addis Ababa of attempting to assign it responsibility for Ethiopia’s internal conflict, amid Ethiopian accusations that Eritrea was supporting the Tigray People’s Liberation Front in recent confrontations with federal forces. Eritrea denies the allegations and says the Ethiopian government is seeking to shift responsibility for its internal crises to regional actors.
The Eritrean paper also alleged that the Ethiopian government was providing financial, military and logistical support to groups opposed to Asmara that sought to change the system of government, and was allowing them to appear on Ethiopian state media. The Ethiopian government has not, in information published on the latest escalation, directly responded to all the allegations contained in the paper.
Eritrean accusations over Ethiopia’s regional policies
Eritrea’s Foreign Ministry broadened its accusations to include Ethiopia’s policies in the region, pointing to the memorandum of understanding signed by Addis Ababa with Somaliland and describing it as a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty. It also accused the Ethiopian government of intervening in the Sudanese war and supporting activities linked to the Rapid Support Forces, allegations raised by regional actors and denied by Addis Ababa.
Asmara said Red Sea security should be managed collectively by the states bordering it, with respect for each state’s sovereignty, rejecting the conversion of the economic interests of landlocked countries into what it described as strategic rights or territorial demands. It said protecting navigation and territorial waters did not give any state the right to claim another state’s territory.
Diplomatic rupture escalates between the neighbouring countries and Tuesday October?
The statement followed a sharp diplomatic escalation that began on 1 October, when Ethiopia decided to close its embassy in Asmara and gave 10 Eritrean diplomats 48 hours to leave its territory, accusing them of taking part in activities that posed a direct threat to its national security. Eritrea responded by announcing reciprocal measures and severing all diplomatic relations with Ethiopia.
The rupture coincided with renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia, where Addis Ababa accused Eritrea and Egypt of supporting the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. The front had launched attacks on government forces on 23 September, before federal forces and their allied groups carried out a counter-offensive and retook Mekelle, the capital of Tigray region, after the front’s fighters withdrew from the city.
The United States warned on 3 October that escalating tensions across the Ethiopia-Eritrea border could affect the entire region, urging both countries to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of neighbouring states and exercise the utmost restraint.
It also urged them to return to dialogue and co-operation under the peace framework they reached in 2018, stressing that the Horn of Africa could not withstand another military conflict and humanitarian crisis.
