Eritrea urges UN to intervene in standoff with Ethiopia

The neighbouring countries blasted 1 different for starting warfare amid heightened tensions and fears of a wider conflict.

Eritrea has asked the United Nations to instrumentality “deterrent measures” aft what it called Ethiopia’s “declaration of war” successful the struggle implicit the Tigray region.

Eritrea’s petition comes a time aft Addis Ababa, successful a missive to the Security Council, accused Asmara of launching an “all-out invasion”, saying Eritrean troops had precocious up to 60 kilometres (37 miles) into Ethiopia’s Tigray.

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In a abstracted missive to the assembly connected Saturday, Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh said the claims of an Eritrean incursion were portion of an Ethiopian program to warrant a warfare of aggression and urged the UN to intervene, invoking Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which allows measures from sanctions to subject action.

The neighbouring countries person accused each different of starting a warfare implicit Tigray, wherever Ethiopia says Eritrea is backing rebels.

An confederation of 7 equipped groups launched attacks against national Ethiopian forces successful the bluish portion past month, arsenic they effort to overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.

Eritrean forces person since reportedly intruded into Ethiopian territory, with Addis Ababa accusing Asmara of backing the rebel Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).

The Ethiopian service pushed TPLF rebels backmost this week and seized the region’s capital, Mekelle. It besides said it launched drone strikes against Eritrean troops successful the region.

“Eritrea requests the UN Security Council to forcefully condemn Ethiopia’s deplorable declaration of warfare against Eritrea … and instrumentality the requisite deterrent measures,” Eritrea’s Saleh said successful the missive connected Saturday.

He said Ethiopia’s enactment would origin “huge devastation to the peoples of some countries and destabilise the full region”.

Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos connected Friday accused Eritrea of “a blatant enactment of aggression that engages Ethiopia’s inherent close to self-defence”.

Timothewos invoked Ethiopia’s close to self-defence nether Article 51 of the UN Charter, but helium did not specify what measures the state was taking.

Faisal Roble, a Horn of Africa specialist, believes some sides are “preparing for the past signifier of an unfastened conflict”.

“There is truly nary uncertainty that some of them are inching towards an unfastened conflict,” helium told Al Jazeera from the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

“Whatever they constitute to the United Nations, it is conscionable posturing and making definite that they person immoderate benignant of planetary enactment connected their side,” the expert added.

‘Deceitful attempts’

In his letter, Saleh called Ethiopia’s actions “deceitful attempts to rationalise its brazen acts of war”, claiming that they were “hollow successful substance”.

Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel accused Ethiopia connected Friday of pursuing aggression against Eritrea done its demands for sovereign entree to the Red Sea. Writing connected X, helium did not explicitly corroborate oregon contradict the reported unit crossings.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy reiterated connected Monday that Ethiopia indispensable person entree to the Red Sea.

Eritrea gained independency from Ethiopia successful 1993, and they fought a deadly borderline warfare from 1998 to 2000.

Relations improved aft Abiy came to powerfulness successful 2018, but person soured again successful caller years.

Landlocked Ethiopia has repeatedly insisted that it has a close to nonstop oversea access, which Eritrea interprets arsenic a menace to invade and prehend its larboard astatine Assab.

TPLF fighters battled Ethiopian authorities forces, past backed by Eritrea, successful a devastating 2020-2022 war.