By Asha Elmi - Reporter
ASMARA, 9 October 2026 Eritrea has accused Ethiopia of preparing for war to secure access to the Red Sea, with Eritrea’s Minister of Information, Yemane Gebre Meskel, alleging that Ethiopian officials are invoking self-defence to justify potential military action against their neighbour.
In a statement posted on X on October 7, Gebre Meskel accused Ethiopia’s ruling Prosperity Party of pursuing a military agenda aimed at securing access to the sea and establishing a military presence along Eritrea’s southern coast.
He cited remarks attributed to a senior Ethiopian general in a local media interview on September 27, saying the officer had declared that Ethiopia intended to plant its flag on the Red Sea. Gebre Meskel also referred to a separate statement attributed to the general identifying the Eritrean port of Assab as the ultimate destination.
Dawan has not independently verified the remarks cited by Gebre Meskel.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has repeatedly called for his landlocked country to secure direct access to the sea, saying Ethiopia would pursue the objective through negotiations based on mutual benefit. Ethiopia lost its direct access to the Red Sea in 1993, when Eritrea became independent.
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Gebre Meskel accused Ethiopia’s leadership of advancing a narrative of self-defence to justify what he described as aggression against Eritrea. He said allegations directed at Asmara were part of a broader effort to conceal Ethiopia’s alleged military ambitions.
The accusations come amid deteriorating relations between the two countries and renewed fighting in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region. Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of supporting an opposition alliance fighting federal forces and alleged that Eritrean troops crossed into Ethiopian territory. Eritrea has rejected Ethiopia’s accusations and accused Addis Ababa of pursuing aggressive ambitions linked to access to the Red Sea.
The diplomatic dispute escalated earlier this month after Ethiopia announced the closure of its embassy in Asmara and ordered 10 Eritrean diplomats to leave the country. Eritrea subsequently severed diplomatic ties with Ethiopia and closed its embassy in Addis Ababa.
The deterioration in relations has raised concerns about a wider conflict in the Horn of Africa, where competing security concerns, disputes over maritime access and renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia have become increasingly intertwined.