Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of launching an all‑out invasion into its northern Tigray region and has warned it will defend itself after residents reported that Eritrean troops crossed the border.
In a letter sent to the United Nations Security Council, Ethiopia’s foreign minister described the action as a blatant act of aggression that triggers Ethiopia’s right to self‑defence.
Eritrea’s information minister countered that the neighbouring state was facing an unprovoked war of aggression and accused Ethiopia of seeking to destabilise the region.
The violence erupted two weeks ago between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, the group that controls Tigray; each side insists the other violated a peace deal that ended a two‑year civil war.
Ethiopia claims Eritrea is backing the TPLF and has supplied it with troops and material, a charge the Eritrean government denies outright.
During the civil war, Eritrea and Ethiopia fought side‑by‑side against the TPLF, but the relationship soured after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed pushed for control of a Red Sea port in Eritrea, leading to a break in diplomatic ties last week.
According to Ethiopian officials, Eritrean forces penetrated up to 60 kilometres into Tigray, prompting the government to launch drone strikes on the town of Adigrat to repel the incursion.
Acled, a conflict‑monitoring organisation, reported that multiple drones struck Eritrean troops and ammunition depots overnight, destroying lorries and causing considerable damage.
Local witnesses told AFP the air strikes were heavy and that Eritrean vehicles appeared to retreat northwards after the bombardment.
There have been no confirmed casualty reports, and the BBC is unable to send reporters into Tigray at present.
In a letter dated 8 October, Ethiopia expressed its urgency, urging UN Security Council members to understand, support and stand in solidarity as Ethiopia faced no other option than to defend itself.
Eritrea has responded by accusing Ethiopian leadership of seeking a pretext to seize Eritrean territory and claiming that the conflict stems from Ethiopia’s attempt to rally opposition forces to destabilise its homeland.
