Eritrean troops seen in northern Ethiopia, witnesses say

Eritrean soldiers were seen driving through the northern Ethiopian town of Adigrat on Wednesday, two witnesses told Reuters, raising fears of outright conflict between the Horn of Africa neighbors. The sightings would be the first confirmation of Eritrean troops on Ethiopian soil during the current conflict between the federal government and a rebel alliance.

Eritrea's information minister, Yemane Gebremeskel, denied the witness accounts, calling them part of an Ethiopian plan to justify a war of aggression against Eritrea. Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of backing the rebel alliance battling federal government troops since September 23 in the northern regions of Tigray, Amhara, and Afar. Afar's chief administrator had previously stated that Eritrean troops were fighting in his region, but this could not be confirmed by Reuters at the time.

Two residents of Adigrat, a town in Tigray located about 25 km south of the Eritrean border, reported seeing two trucks with dozens of Eritrean soldiers driving through the town on Wednesday morning. They identified the soldiers by their off-white camouflage uniforms. Another resident said family members had also seen Eritrean troops. Reuters could not independently verify these accounts, and the witnesses spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.

Gebremeskel stated that the allegations were intended to provide Ethiopia with a pretext to attack Eritrea, suggesting Ethiopia was fabricating claims to justify its war agenda. He also noted that Ethiopia's repeated statements about needing sea access, which Eritrea views as an implicit threat, were part of this agenda.

Eritrean soldiers previously fought in support of Ethiopia's federal government during a 2020-2022 civil war in Tigray. Some remained in northern Tigray after the war ended, according to Ethiopian government, UN experts, and human rights organizations, though Eritrea denied this. The current fighting has heightened concerns that the unrest could spread beyond Ethiopia's borders in a fragile region. Ethiopia has also accused Egypt and Sudan of supporting the opposition alliance, which both countries have denied. The US State Department urged both Eritrea and Ethiopia to exercise restraint, warning that a conflict would jeopardize US collaboration with both nations.