Addis-Ababa (Somalia Today) – Ethiopia has formally accused Eritrea and Tigrayan forces of forging a new military alliance to “wage war” against the state, in a move that risks reigniting tensions across the Horn of Africa.
In a letter to the United Nations, Addis Ababa alleged that Eritrea and hard-line elements within the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) have formed a new alliance called “Tsimdo.”
The government says this partnership aims to destabilize Ethiopia and violates the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement that ended the country’s civil war.
The letter, dated October 2, 2025, and addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, describes what Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos called “a collusion between the Eritrean government and the hardliner faction of the TPLF” that has become increasingly evident.
According to the document, the alliance is “actively preparing to wage war against Ethiopia,” with both parties accused of “funding, mobilizing, and directing armed groups such as Fano to expand the horizon of the conflict.”
The charges signal a serious deterioration in regional relations and pose a fresh challenge to the fragile peace established since 2022.
Renewed clashes in Amhara
Ethiopia’s letter links the alleged Eritrea–TPLF cooperation to renewed clashes in the Amhara region, claiming the alliance was behind a recent Fano militia offensive aimed at capturing the strategic town of Woldiya.
Timothewos further alleged that TPLF commanders and fighters took part in the operation, with additional skirmishes reported in Raya and Welkait.
Such actions, the government argues, constitute a breach of the November 2022 Agreement for Lasting Peace through a Permanent Cessation of Hostilities, signed in Pretoria, South Africa, which ended a two-year conflict between federal forces and the TPLF.
While the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) have, according to Addis Ababa, maintained “a defensive posture” and exercised “maximum restraint,” the foreign minister warned that this approach “is not one of indefinite restraint.”
His remarks suggest a more robust military response if provocations persist.
At the heart of tensions
Addis Ababa identified Eritrea as “the main architect of these nefarious activities,” accusing Asmara of providing “financial, material, and political support” to destabilize its larger southern neighbor.
The letter claims that Eritrea’s motive is to block Ethiopia’s long-held ambition of gaining access to the sea, a lingering dispute since Eritrea’s 1993 independence, which left Ethiopia landlocked.
“Eritrea presents its hostile acts as preemptive defensive measures,” Timothewos wrote, dismissing such claims as “pretexts to justify Eritrea’s decades-old effort to destabilize Ethiopia.”
At the center of the dispute lies Addis Ababa’s push for port access, a move that has unsettled countries across the region.
Despite the sharp accusations, Ethiopia reiterated its commitment to peaceful dialogue. Timothewos said the government seeks sea access “through peaceful means” and envisions “shared prosperity through integration that preserves the territorial integrity and sovereignty of both states.”
The letter follows a similar complaint lodged with the United States in July, reflecting Ethiopia’s growing alarm over Eritrea’s actions.
In its appeal to the international community, Ethiopia urged UN member states to pressure Eritrea to halt its “direct and indirect acts of hostility.”
As diplomatic tensions rise, analysts warn that the Horn of Africa faces a renewed risk of escalation, one that could unravel years of painstaking peace-building efforts.
