Ethiopia Accuses Eritrea of All-Out Invasion of Tigray
Ethiopia notified the UN Security Council of an Eritrean military invasion in the Tigray region and asserted its right to self-defense.
The Government of Ethiopia notified the United Nations Security Council on October 8 that it must defend itself following what it described as an all-out invasion by Eritrean forces. Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos alleged that Eritrean mechanized army units advanced up to 60 km into the Tigray region, posing a direct threat to Ethiopian sovereignty.
Ethiopia demanded the immediate withdrawal of these forces, calling the incursion a blatant act of aggression. The escalation coincides with renewed fighting in Tigray between federal forces and groups linked to the Tigray People's Liberation Front. Conflict monitors reported that Ethiopian military drones targeted Eritrean forces near the town of Adigrat on Wednesday and Thursday as they withdrew from positions near the border.
Eritrea rejected the accusations. Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel characterized the claims as a pretext for Ethiopia to launch a war of aggression. The confrontation follows a period of severed diplomatic ties between the two nations.
