Eritrean troops retreating, Ethiopian militia says

A pro-government Ethiopian militia said Eritrean troops had suffered “heavy losses” and were retreating toward the border after crossing into Ethiopia, a claim that could not be independently verified.

Solomon Hailemariam, spokesperson for the Tigray Peace Force, told AFP that “the Eritrean army crossed into Ethiopia and violated its sovereignty, but it has suffered heavy losses and retreated towards the border”.

Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel told AFP the pro-government militia was “not trustworthy”.

Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of backing the rebel Tigray People's Liberation Front, which launched a major offensive against government forces on September 23 before being pushed back. Eritrean forces were deployed in Ethiopian territory to support the rebels, according to the item.

Hailemariam said the TPLF was no longer able to stand and fight and that pro-government forces had seized or destroyed its weapons. He said pro-government forces were now gathered in areas bordering Eritrea.

The International Crisis Group warned on Monday that Ethiopia and Eritrea were “perilously close to all-out war” as clashes moved nearer the border. It urged international pressure on both sides to avoid escalation.

Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993 and the two countries fought a border war from 1998 to 2000. Relations briefly improved after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power in 2018, but have worsened again over the Tigray conflict.