Former Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome has accused Eritrea of inciting conflict in the Horn of Africa, claiming that President Isaias Afwerki is attempting to destabilize the region. In an opinion piece published by Al Jazeera on February 17, Teshome warned that Eritrea’s actions could jeopardize the fragile peace established by the Pretoria Agreement following the Tigray conflict.
In response, Eritrea’s Ministry of Information issued a statement on February 18, labeling Teshome’s accusations as misleading and a cover for Ethiopia’s own warmongering strategies. The ministry emphasized that the roots of current tensions lie in Ethiopia’s internal instability and its long-standing occupation of Eritrean territories since the 1998-2000 war.
Eritrea asserts it has no interest in interfering with Ethiopia’s internal affairs and has already withdrawn its troops to internationally recognized borders. However, the Eritrean government criticized recent Ethiopian rhetoric regarding potential military actions to acquire ports on the Red Sea as provocative.
The situation remains tense, with Eritrea calling for an end to scapegoating and urging that solutions to the region’s crises must address Ethiopia’s internal dynamics rather than externalizing blame.
