Washington calls for reducing the escalation between Ethiopia and Eritrea

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The US State Department announced, on Wednesday, that Secretary Marco Rubio supports reducing the escalation between Ethiopia and Eritrea, in light of the escalation of military and diplomatic tensions between the two countries, amid fears of the outbreak of a new confrontation in the Horn of Africa region.

The American position came in conjunction with a phone call held by Rubio with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, which discussed bilateral relations and regional and international issues of common interest.

According to the official Ethiopian News Agency, Abiy Ahmed described the contact as “fruitful,” stressing that it reflects the two countries’ commitment to transforming their relations into a more strategic and practical partnership.

The Ethiopian Prime Minister also welcomed Washington's confirmation of its continued support for Ethiopia, indicating a shared commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation and dealing with regional and international issues.

The US State Department had warned, in an official statement issued by its spokesman Tommy Pigot on October 3, that the escalation of border tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea may reflect on the entire region.

The statement stressed that the Horn of Africa cannot bear a new military conflict and humanitarian crisis, warning that the outbreak of war would threaten existing American cooperation with the two countries regarding common interests.

Washington called on the two parties to respect sovereignty and territorial integrity, exercise the utmost restraint, and return to dialogue and cooperation in accordance with the peace framework signed in 2018. It stressed that dialogue represents the only way to achieve sustainable security, economic growth and prosperity.

The American moves come after a sharp escalation between Addis Ababa and Asmara, as Ethiopia accused its neighbor, Eritrea, of a military incursion into the Tigray region in the north of the country.

In a letter to the UN Security Council, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gideon Timothy accused Eritrean forces of advancing up to 60 kilometers into Ethiopian territory.

Addis Ababa considered the Eritrean movements a violation of its sovereignty, based on Article 51 of the United Nations Charter regarding the right to self-defense.

On the other hand, Eritrea rejected the Ethiopian accusations, and accused Addis Ababa of seeking to justify a war targeting its lands, especially the port of Assab overlooking the Red Sea.

Asmara called on the Security Council to take a position on the Ethiopian statements and movements, warning of the repercussions of any military confrontation on the stability of the region.

The crisis worsened with renewed fighting in the Tigray region, where Ethiopian forces engaged in confrontations with opposition armed groups, coinciding with reports of the entry of Eritrean forces into the region.

Diplomatic relations also witnessed a sharp deterioration, after Ethiopia expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats and closed its embassy in Asmara, before Eritrea announced the severing of diplomatic relations with its neighbor.

The roots of the dispute go back to old border and security issues, as well as the efforts of Ethiopia, a landlocked country, to obtain access to the Red Sea, which Eritrea considers a threat to its sovereignty over the port of Assab.

The two countries fought a border war between 1998 and 2000, before signing a historic peace agreement in 2018, but relations deteriorated again after the end of the Tigray war in 2022.

International calls for calm are increasing, as the European Union has also warned that continued escalation may lead to a broader regional conflict, calling on all parties to avoid actions and statements that increase tension, and to return to political and diplomatic solutions.