Ethiopia, Eritrea trade war accusations at the UN

Ethiopia told the UN Security Council that Eritrean troops had pushed 60km into Tigray, invoking self-defense, while Eritrea rejected the claim as a pretext for an Ethiopian offensive and urged the Council to condemn Addis Ababa.

Why it matters: Mutual accusations of aggression between former allies, now without diplomatic ties, are pushing the Horn of Africa toward a direct interstate confrontation with consequences for Sudan, Somalia and Red Sea shipping lanes.

Data as of Sunday, October 11, 2026: Al Jazeera piece opened and read in full. Ethiopia's incursion claim and Eritrea's denial are each party's narrative, neither independently verified; the ACLED report of Eritrean troops near Zalambessa is a conflict monitor's account, not confirmed by Eritrea. Single-sourced explainer: treat as developing.

Ethiopia told the UN Security Council on Friday that Eritrean troops had advanced as far as 60km into Tigray, calling it “a blatant act of aggression” that engages Ethiopia’s right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. Eritrea, in its own letter on Saturday, rejected the incursion claim as a pretext for an Addis Ababa offensive and urged the Council to condemn Ethiopia’s “deplorable declaration of war.”

The war of letters comes as Ethiopian government and allied forces advanced across Tigray, reportedly entering Adigrat, roughly 30km from the Eritrean border, on Saturday. Analysts told Al Jazeera the confrontation has moved beyond diplomacy into a high-risk phase, with the severing of diplomatic ties removing the last formal crisis-management mechanism between the former allies.

Ethiopia, Eritrea trade war accusations at the UN

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