By Abdullahi Salad - Reporter
ADDIS ABABA, 15 October 2026 US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed growing tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea in a phone call with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali.
According to a statement from the US State Department, the call took place on Wednesday. The tensions are linked to ongoing fighting in the Tigray region.
Rubio supported de-escalation by all sides, saying the only sustainable solution to internal and external tensions is dialogue and engagement, as agreed in the 2018 Ethiopia-Eritrea peace framework.
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He also stressed that all countries in the Horn of Africa must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of their neighbours and avoid cross-border incursions.
He added that the region cannot tolerate another conflict.
The call came as Ethiopia and Eritrea accused each other of aggression at the United Nations, heightening fears of a new conflict in the Horn of Africa as fighting intensifies in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region.
Ethiopia has accused Eritrea, Egypt and Sudan of backing an armed alliance fighting to overthrow the government. For its part, Eritrea has asked the UN Security Council to condemn what it called Ethiopia's declaration of war and to take deterrent measures.