Eritrea requests the United Nations to intervene in the escalating tension between Ethiopia

Asmara — The Eritrean government has requested the United Nations to intervene in the escalating tension between Ethiopia, as both countries accuse each other of inciting a new war that could erupt in the Horn of Africa.

Eritrea has asked the UN Security Council to take "measures to prevent the situation," after stating that Ethiopia has declared war, a matter that coincides with the increasing tension in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia.

The request from Eritrea came a day after the Ethiopian government sent a letter to the Security Council, accusing Eritrean forces of entering Ethiopian territory, particularly the Tigray region, at a distance reported to be 60 kilometers.

Addis Ababa has also accused Asmara of supporting the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), claiming that the movements of Eritrean forces are part of a security intervention against Ethiopia.

However, the Eritrean government has described these accusations as baseless, arguing that Ethiopia is trying to create a pretext to launch an unjust war.

The Eritrean Foreign Minister, Osman Saleh, stated in a letter he sent to the Security Council on Saturday that his country wants the United Nations to clearly oppose what he described as Ethiopia's declaration of war.

Saleh urged the Security Council to condemn Ethiopia's actions and to take necessary measures to prevent the situation from turning into a large-scale war.

He also urged the United Nations to invoke Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, which gives the Security Council the authority to take measures to address threats to international peace and security, including sanctions and, in specific circumstances, the use of military force.

The Eritrean government insists that Ethiopia's accusations regarding the entry of Eritrean troops into the Tigray region are an attempt to legitimize military actions against that country.

On the other hand, Eritrea's Minister of Information, Yemane Gebremeskel, accused Ethiopia on Friday of conducting aggression against Eritrea, linking this to Addis Ababa's request for direct access to the Red Sea.

Gebremeskel, who posted a statement on platform X, did not explicitly confirm or deny reports that Eritrean troops had crossed the border between the two countries.

Tensions between the two countries have escalated after a coalition of seven armed groups carried out attacks against Ethiopian federal forces in the Tigray region last month, stating that it aims to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government.