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Eritrea has requested the United Nations Security Council to impose “deterrent measures” against Ethiopia following what Asmara characterises as a direct declaration of war over the Tigray conflict.
Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh urged the council to forcefully condemn Ethiopian military actions, warning that continued escalation will cause widespread devastation and destabilise the broader Horn of Africa region.
The appeal follows a sharp escalation in northern Ethiopia, where both nations accuse each other of launching offensive military operations.
After Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebels attacked federal forces, Eritrean troops crossed into Ethiopian territory, prompting Ethiopia’s military to launch drone strikes against Eritrean positions while pushing TPLF forces out of the regional capital, Mekelle.
Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos defended the strikes, accusing Eritrea of blatant aggression and asserting Ethiopia’s right to self-defence.
“Eritrea requests the UN Security Council to forcefully condemn Ethiopia’s deplorable declaration of war against Eritrea… and take the requisite deterrent measures,” Saleh said.
The conflict marks a severe deterioration in bilateral relations, which had temporarily improved after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed assumed office in 2018.
Tensions have surged again in recent years, driven by landlocked Ethiopia’s public demands for direct access to the Red Sea—a stance Eritrea views as a direct threat to its sovereignty over the port city of Assab.
