Ethiopia Orders Eritrea to Withdraw Troops as Border Tensions Escalate
Addis Ababa, 8 February 2026
Ethiopia has formally demanded Eritrea immediately withdraw military forces from its territory, accusing Asmara of ‘outright aggression’ and supporting rebel groups. The diplomatic crisis marks a dangerous escalation between the Horn of Africa neighbours, whose relationship deteriorated after their alliance during Ethiopia’s 2020-2022 Tigray civil war ended in mutual accusations and territorial disputes.
Diplomatic Letter Triggers New Crisis
The escalation began with a strongly-worded letter from Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos to his Eritrean counterpart, dated Saturday [1]. The correspondence accused Eritrea of crossing into Ethiopian territory along the northeastern borders and conducting joint military manoeuvres with rebel groups in the northwestern regions [1]. Timothewos characterised these actions as “not just provocations but acts of outright aggression” [1]. Eritrea has not yet commented on the latest accusations, though it has previously denied that its soldiers crossed the two countries’ common border [1].
Implications for Refugee Safety
The border tensions pose significant concerns for regional stability, particularly affecting conditions for Ethiopian refugees who might consider voluntary repatriation [GPT]. Border security deterioration typically creates unsafe conditions for population movements, whilst active military presence along frontier areas can trigger displacement of local populations [GPT]. The current diplomatic crisis adds another layer of uncertainty to an already fragile regional security environment that has been shaped by decades of conflict between these neighbouring states [GPT].
Historical Context of Ethiopia-Eritrea Relations
The current tensions reflect a long history of conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea, which fought a devastating border war between 1998 and 2000 that resulted in more than 100,000 deaths [1]. Relations only began to improve after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who later won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts, travelled to the Eritrean capital Asmara in 2018 [1]. However, the peace deal from their earlier war was never fully implemented, creating ongoing points of friction [1]. The two countries became allies during Ethiopia’s 2020-2022 civil war in Tigray, when Eritrea supported Ethiopian forces against Tigrayan rebels, but relations have since deteriorated once again [1].
Recent Allegations and Shifting Alliances
In a significant development last week, Prime Minister Abiy acknowledged for the first time that Eritrean troops had massacred people in the Ethiopian city of Aksum during the Tigray civil war [1]. These were allegations that Eritrea had previously denied following reports of mass killings in the historic city in November 2020 [1]. The Ethiopian government now claims that Eritrea is supporting rebels in Tigray who oppose the peace deal that ended the civil war, representing a complete reversal of previous alliances [1]. Last month, Ethiopian police reported seizing thousands of rounds of ammunition allegedly sent by Eritrea to rebels, though Eritrea denied this allegation and accused Ethiopia of “floating false flags to justify the war that it has been itching to unleash for two long years” [1].