Ethiopia: Abiy Ahmed Dismisses War Fears with Eritrea Amid Rising Tensions

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed reassures the public that war with Eritrea is unlikely, despite growing concerns over escalating tensions in the region.

On Thursday, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed declared that his government would steer clear of intensifying tensions with Eritrea over access to the Red Sea. This decision comes despite regional officials and experts cautioning about a possible conflict between the neighboring nations.

Concerns about war have recently intensified after Eritrea declared a nationwide military mobilization and Ethiopia moved troops toward the border, according to diplomatic sources and officials.

Abiy stressed that although access to the Red Sea is vital for landlocked Ethiopia, his government is dedicated to addressing this issue through peaceful dialogue instead of military conflict.

The resurgence of conflict between the two nations threatens to undermine the historic reconciliation that earned Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019, potentially sparking a humanitarian crisis in a region already struggling with ongoing strife in Sudan.

During the reconciliation, Eritrea supported Ethiopian federal forces in the civil war from 2020 to 2022, leading to a significant loss of life.

The relationship between the two countries deteriorated once more after Eritrea was excluded from negotiations to end the civil war in November 2022.

Since then, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has fragmented, with various factions competing for control over the interim administration in the Tigray region.

The present administration has charged one group with collaborating with Eritrea, whereas the opposing faction argues that their rivals have failed to sufficiently protect Tigrayan interests.

Abiy informed parliament that the term of the interim administration has been extended for another year with certain modifications. However, he did not clarify if these changes would include new leadership, which is a major demand from the dissenting faction.

He mentioned that the interim administration would continue until the next general election, which is planned for 2026, as per the Pretoria agreement.