Ethiopian Troops Advance to Eritrean Border Town as Diplomats Push to Avert War
Ethiopian government forces have reached the border town of Zalambessa, previously held by Tigrayan rebels, according to sources cited by Reuters, as the U.N. Security Council held a closed-door session on the Horn of Africa.
Ethiopian government troops have advanced to the town of Zalambessa on the border with Eritrea, previously controlled by Tigrayan rebels, people in touch with residents said Tuesday, as diplomats worked to avert war between the Horn of Africa neighbors, according to Reuters.
Witnesses and a conflict monitor said Eritrean troops had crossed into Zalambessa last week in support of the rebels, but it was unclear whether the Eritrean troops or the rebels were still there on Tuesday.
Eritrea has denied any incursion into Ethiopia and has asked the United Nations to take deterrent measures against Ethiopia. Asmara argues that Addis Ababa’s accusations of an invasion by Eritrean forces amount to a “declaration of war.”
A border town under pressure
By Tuesday, the Ethiopian army had reached Zalambessa, a town of about 15,000 on the Ethiopian side of the border with Eritrea, according to six sources. The sources included four people in touch with residents, a diplomat and an expert on the conflict in touch with the warring parties, Reuters reported.
A spokesperson for a pro-government militia did not confirm that the military had taken control of the town. Spokespeople for Ethiopia’s military and for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Ethiopian government’s counter-offensive has driven the rebels from a string of towns, forcing them to retreat north, after fighting broke out last month when a rebel alliance led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front went on the offensive. The fighting has reignited a war that killed hundreds of thousands of people between 2020 and 2022.
Dueling letters at the U.N.
Ethiopia wrote to members of the Security Council this week stating that Eritrean troops had advanced up to 60 km (37 miles) inside Ethiopia. Eritrea’s Foreign Minister Osman Saleh, in a letter seen by Reuters, asked the Council to take action against Addis Ababa, invoking Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter, which allows for measures ranging from sanctions to military action.
On Tuesday, Security Council members were due to hold a closed-door meeting on the Horn of Africa, the Greek presidency of the Council said.
The dispute over sea access has also strained relations. Ethiopia had access to a coastline for decades until Eritrea gained independence in 1993. Ethiopia describes restoring sea access as an existential issue but says it would pursue it through peace and dialogue. Ethiopia and Eritrea made peace in 2018 after years of conflict, and Eritrea fought alongside Ethiopia’s federal government during the 2020-2022 civil war in Tigray, but relations have since soured again.
Reporting based on coverage by Reuters.
