A militia loyal to Ethiopia confirms the presence of leaders of the “Tigray Front” in Eritrea... and Asmara denies

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A pro-government Ethiopian militia leader said on Tuesday that rebel leaders in the Tigray region are currently in Eritrea, which the Eritrean Information Minister was quick to deny.

The Tigray People's Liberation Front forces, which had ruled the region for years, launched an attack against the government last month, but were eventually forced to retreat and lost control of the main cities in the region.

The battles raised fears of a regional war, especially since the rebels enjoy the support of neighboring Eritrea.

Ethiopia and Eritrea severed their diplomatic relations in October, amid an exchange of accusations.

The commander of the pro-government "Tigray Peace Force" militia, Gebregziabre Benny, said on Tuesday that "the leaders of the Tigray People's Liberation Front crossed the border into Eritrea."

His statements came while speaking to residents of the city of Mekelle, the capital of Tigray region, which was seized by federal forces earlier this month.

He said that the leaders of the Front transferred "a large amount of military equipment and medicines" to the Eritrean capital, Asmara.

Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel quickly denied the leader's statements, considering them "lies."

Vice President of the Tigray People's Liberation Front, Amanuel Assefa, also denied the statements, telling Agence France-Presse that "the leadership is working from within the Tigray region."

The federal government appointed Gebregziabre on Friday as part of an interim administration in Tigray, entrusted with the task of organizing elections within six months.

Eritrea, which was an Italian colony, was annexed to Ethiopia by a United Nations decision in 1952 according to an autonomy formula, but Ethiopia annexed it as its territory in 1962. Eritrea gained its independence in 1993 after a 30-year war. It has historically had very tense relations with Addis Ababa.

Despite this, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki sent the Eritrean army to support Abiy Ahmed against the Tigray People's Liberation Front between 2020 and 2022, but relations between the two men subsequently deteriorated quickly and dangerously.

Eritrea accuses Ethiopia, which lacks access to the sea, of planning to use the conflict as a pretext to invade its territory and control the port of Assab overlooking the Red Sea.

The international community expressed increasing concern about the risks of a new war in this region.