Overview
- In a Feb. 8 letter, Foreign Minister Gedion Timotheos ordered an immediate pullout of Eritrean forces from Ethiopian territory and an end to any collaboration with Ethiopian rebel groups.
- Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel rejected the allegations on Feb. 9, calling them “false and fabricated” and part of a hostile campaign.
- Ethiopia accuses Eritrean units of recent incursions and joint maneuvers with insurgents, including Amhara militias such as Fano, along the northern border, according to local reporting of the letter.
- Addis Ababa said the actions amount to “pure and simple aggression” yet signaled readiness for talks on broader issues if Eritrea complies, including potential access to the port of Assab.
- Eritrean troops have operated in northern Ethiopia since the 2020 Tigray war, and the withdrawal envisioned by the November 2022 Pretoria agreement has not occurred.