Eritrea’s President Isaias Afwerki warned Ethiopia towards launching a battle over seaport entry on 20 July 2025.
Afwerki acknowledged that Eritrea would resist any “human wave” army technique by Ethiopia’s bigger inhabitants. Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, has renewed requires sea entry by means of Eritrean territory.
Eritrea and Ethiopia fought a lethal battle from 1998 to 2000, which claimed tens of hundreds of lives. Afwerki accused Abiy of trying to divert consideration from Ethiopia’s inside crises.
The president’s remarks observe Ethiopia’s revived seaport ambitions since early 2023.
TENSIONS RISE NEAR TIGRAY BORDER
Eritrean forces have remained current in elements of northern Ethiopia, together with areas of Tigray, regardless of provisions within the 2022 Pretoria Settlement that required the withdrawal of all non-ENDF forces.
The Pretoria Settlement, signed on 2 November 2022, mandated the withdrawal of Eritrean and different non-federal forces from the Tigray area.
In March 2025, Ethiopia’s federal military engaged in intense clashes with the Fano militia within the Amhara area, leading to over 300 reported militia deaths.
Gerrit Kurtz, senior researcher on the German Institute for Worldwide and Safety Affairs (SWP), has acknowledged that Eritrea advantages strategically from Ethiopia’s inside divisions.
Eritrean authorities have denied these allegations, labelling the experiences of their army involvement as “fabricated” and politically motivated.
ERITREA’S STRATEGIC GAINS IN THE TIGRAY WAR
In keeping with a June 2025 report by The Sentry, Eritrean forces looted factories, gold, and cultural artefacts from the Tigray area throughout the battle.
The report paperwork how looted gold and antiques had been smuggled into Eritrea and monetised by means of state-controlled networks.
Eritrean army officers used the proceeds to finance logistics and maintain battle operations in Tigray.
The United Nations imposed an arms embargo on Eritrea in 2009 beneath Decision 1907, which was lifted in November 2018 following the peace settlement with Ethiopia.
In 2019, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed acquired the Nobel Peace Prize for initiating the peace course of with Eritrea; President Isaias Afwerki was not included as a laureate.
Regardless of the 2022 Pretoria Settlement mandating overseas troop withdrawal, credible experiences say Eritrean forces stay in northern Ethiopia, sparking regional stability issues.
CALLS FOR DIPLOMATIC DE-ESCALATION
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has publicly reiterated his help for peace, together with absolutely implementing the 2022 Pretoria Settlement. Nevertheless, he faces rising political stress forward of the 2026 nationwide elections.
Analysts reminiscent of William Davison (Worldwide Disaster Group) and Gerrit Kurtz (SWP) warn that Abiy might exploit ongoing tensions to consolidate home political help.
Tigray’s interim president, Getachew Reda, has known as for restraint and denied any provocation from his administration amid renewed cross-regional accusations.
Factions inside the Tigray Folks’s Liberation Entrance (TPLF) stay divided, hindering regional diplomacy and delaying full disarmament beneath the peace deal.
Worldwide our bodies, together with the African Union (AU), United Nations (UN), and Intergovernmental Authority on Growth (IGAD), proceed to induce inclusive dialogue to stop a relapse into battle.
The Horn of Africa stays geopolitically risky, as overlapping crises in Ethiopia, Sudan, and Somalia gasoline regional instability.
WILL ERITREA AND ETHIOPIA AVOID ANOTHER WAR OVER RED SEA AMBITIONS?
Tell us by leaving a remark under, or ship a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11.Subscribe to The South African web site’s newsletters and observe us on WhatsApp, Fb, X and Bluesky for the most recent information.
