Fears of a full-scale war between Ethiopia and Eritrea are mounting after Ethiopian army forces advanced into the border town of Zalmebsa, which had been under rebel control, against the backdrop of a military escalation in the region. Reuters reported the development, citing six sources involved in the events.
According to the report, Eritrean forces crossed the border last week and entered the town to assist the rebels, though it remains unclear whether they are still present. The Ethiopian army launched a counter-offensive that drove the rebels out of a series of towns, and the advance into Zalmebsa marks a further stage in the fighting.
The clashes resumed last month when a rebel alliance led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front launched an offensive. This follows a bloody civil war from 2020 to 2022 in which hundreds of thousands were killed.
Tensions between the two nations intensified after Ethiopia accused Eritrea of sending forces deep into its territory, as far as 60 kilometers from the border. Eritrea denied the claims and said the Ethiopian accusations amounted to a declaration of war. The Eritrean foreign minister appealed to the UN Security Council, demanding action be taken against Ethiopia.
Against the backdrop of fears the conflict could spread to other states in the Horn of Africa, the UN Security Council is expected to hold a closed-door session on the matter. The tensions also touch on the question of Ethiopia's access to the sea — the country lost its coastline when Eritrea gained independence in 1993, an issue Addis Ababa defines as existential.
