MEKELLE, Ethiopia (AP) — Eritrean soldiers entered two towns in northern Ethiopia, a commander allied with Ethiopia’s government said, with military officers conducting surveillance in one of them, as residents reported that Tigrayan opposition forces had withdrawn from Shire.
Ermiyas Ababu, a Tigray Peace Force commander based in Mekelle, said Eritrean personnel entered Adigrat on Tuesday and Idaga Hamus on Wednesday. He said Eritrean military officers and commanders were conducting surveillance in Idaga Hamus, citing reports from his personnel in the area.
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Separately, conflict monitoring group ACLED said Eritrean troops crossed the border at Zelambesa on Wednesday and Ethiopian military drones targeted them at Guada as they traveled toward Idaga Hamus.
The Associated Press could not independently verify either account. ACLED, which provided its account through East Africa analyst Jalale Getachew Birru, had not responded Thursday morning to an inquiry about the basis for its claims.
The allegations come amid renewed fighting between Ethiopian government forces and an opposition alliance that includes the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, or TPLF.
Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel accused Ethiopia on Wednesday of fabricating allegations to justify military action against his country. In a post on X, he accused Ethiopia’s ruling party of creating “a fallacious narrative of ‘self-defense.’” He did not specifically address the movements or strikes described by ACLED.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed reiterated Monday that his landlocked country must have access to the Red Sea. Ethiopia lost its coastline when Eritrea became independent in 1993. Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry said Monday that it remained committed to dialogue and peaceful engagement with its neighbors.
Eritrea has denied Ethiopia’s allegations that it supports the TPLF. Last week, it announced it was severing diplomatic ties after Ethiopia expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats and closed its embassy in Asmara.
In Shire, residents Mesu’ud Ahmed and Abadi Halefom told the AP by telephone Wednesday evening that they had witnessed TPLF forces withdrawing earlier that day. Government troops and allied forces had not entered when they spoke, Mesu’ud said.
Shire has been a major refuge for people displaced by fighting in Tigray and a base for humanitarian aid operations.
“TPLF left but the government forces and their allies did not enter the town but we hear that they are coming,” Mesu’ud said. “Everyone has closed their shops in Shire, and moved their merchandise for fear of looting.”
Government-allied fighters entered Mekelle, Tigray’s regional capital, on Sunday after the TPLF announced its withdrawal. The Tigray Peace Force imposed a curfew there Wednesday from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The force includes former members of the TPLF’s armed wing. Ermiyas said Tuesday that it was working with Ethiopian federal troops to expand its control.
The TPLF joined six other opposition groups last month in an alliance seeking to oust Abiy. Fighting escalated late last month, undermining the November 2022 peace agreement that ended a devastating two-year war.
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Filmon Equar Hailu in Mekelle and Amir Aman Kiyaro in Hamburg, Germany, contributed to this report.
