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From Allies to Enemies: Ethiopia and Eritrea Edge Toward War
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- Ethiopia and Eritrea, former allies against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), are now in conflict, with Ethiopia accusing Eritrea of invading its territory and supporting the TPLF.
- The Tigray war, which ended with a 2022 peace deal, involved severe human rights abuses by both Ethiopia and Eritrea, including massacres and ethnic cleansing.
- Eritrea has counter-accused Ethiopia of preparing for a "long-planned invasion," signaling a significant deterioration in relations between the two countries.
- The conflict marks a reversal from the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize-winning rapprochement brokered by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, raising concerns about a potential war between Ethiopia and Eritrea for the first time in decades.
- Ethiopia’s strategic interest in Eritrea’s Assab Port, a crucial Red Sea access point ceded after Eritrean independence, adds a critical dimension to the escalating tensions.
