Eritrea calls on the Security Council to "condemn the declaration of war" by Ethiopia

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In the midst of the mutual escalation between Addis Ababa and Asmara, Eritrea asked the UN Security Council to take deterrent measures against Ethiopia, calling for the condemnation of what it described as a "declaration of war", against the backdrop of Addis Ababa's accusations of Eritrean forces of launching a "comprehensive invasion" of its territory.

Eritrea said, according to a letter to the Security Council seen by Reuters on Saturday, that the Ethiopian accusations amount to a “declaration of war,” considering that they come within the framework of “efforts to justify launching a military attack against it.”

Asmara also denied the validity of reports about the incursion of its forces into Ethiopian territory, as Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh described these accusations as part of an Ethiopian plan to justify an “aggressive war,” calling on the United Nations to intervene based on Chapter Seven of its Charter, which allows for measures ranging from imposing sanctions to the use of military force.

This came after the Ethiopian government called on the Security Council to press for the immediate withdrawal of Eritrean forces from its territory, according to a letter sent by Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gideon Timotheus dated October 8, which was seen by a senior Ethiopian government source.

Timothy stated in the letter that the presence of Eritrean forces left his country with no choice but to defend itself, while Addis Ababa, according to diplomatic sources, considered that the crossing of the border by Eritrean forces represented an invasion and violation of its sovereignty.

On the other hand, Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel rejected reports about the presence of Eritrean forces in the city of Adigrat, considering it an Ethiopian attempt to justify waging war against his country.

This escalation also comes in light of the deterioration of relations between the two countries, after Asmara severed its diplomatic relations with Addis Ababa, in response to Ethiopia closing its embassy in Eritrea and expelling ten Eritrean diplomats, coinciding with the continuation of military tensions in the far north of the Tigray region.