r/Eritrea • u/Bolt3er • 10h ago
r/Eritrea • u/TurtleSmurph • 20d ago
Prepare Yourselves!
Fresh conflict in the Horn means fresh astroturfers attempting to manufacture sentiment.
We will be enhancing moderation and banning users for hate speech and propaganda.
Remember to love your brother and your sister and pray for peace in this lifetime for all of us!
r/Eritrea • u/TurtleSmurph • Aug 29 '26
Opinion / Commentary Some of you really need to get a life.
Expecting the mods to have the same mental illness and obsessive complex about the world as you do is not healthy.
Did you ever think that maybe we are just regular ass dudes who aren’t interested in taking part in your online war? If you are so interested in overthrowing/preserving the government, then go home. At least then none of us will have to suffer through you making fools of yourselves on the internet because you won’t have it!
Same to the Ethiopian trolls who think it’s funny to talk about invading Eritrea. Yall should have shame…
Bunch of sociopaths in here pushing your rhetoric, hope yall get shot first.
Pictures Is the Ethiopian government staging a false flag, claiming they caught weapons from Eritrea that originated from the 'port of Asmara'. Does Asmara have a port? How can we go from an unverified Eritrean incursion into Ethiopia to a fictional port in Asmara?
the ethiopian gov provided this as evidence to diplomatic community in Addis Abeba.
https://x.com/BehiwotTilahun/status/2109695738489840076?s=20
'Breaking:
Captured weapons and documents were presented to ambassadors in Addis Ababa.'
r/Eritrea • u/Appropriate-dusttt • 10h ago
Discussion / Questions No war
after going through the information, my view is that a direct war with eritrea is unlikely right now. whatever advantage ethiopia might have in population or economic resources, fighting a neighbouring country while dealing with multiple insurgencies would be an enormous gamble. it could stretch the military, cause heavy losses, drag on for years and give insurgent groups fresh confidence. to me, that would go beyond a miscalculation it could be strategically suicidal.
r/Eritrea • u/Stuff_606 • 3h ago
Discussion / Questions Takita, Eritrea
What is the history of this village?
r/Eritrea • u/Stuff_606 • 3h ago
Discussion / Questions Are any of yall unionists?
Touchy subject here for some but I’m curious to know if there is are any Eritreans at all in this sub who are unionists/think Eritrea and Ethiopia should be one country.
r/Eritrea • u/Kagedeah • 11h ago
News UK threatens visa bans for Eritrea over migrant return policy
r/Eritrea • u/Early_Ad_7240 • 14h ago
History Fun fact: Lebna Dengel’s mother, Na’od Mogasa, came from the family of the Bahr Negash of Medri Bahri (her brother Dori held the title), making him half Tigrinya (in the modern ethnic sense).
r/Eritrea • u/AnxiousSection3796 • 5h ago
UCI Road World Champion!
Eritrea needs to host a UCI Road World Championship at least once! The Asmara-Massawa highway is just a cyclists dream!
r/Eritrea • u/EqualGround3000 • 17h ago
Discussion / Questions Eritrea Deserves Sovereignty — But Eritreans Deserve Freedom Too!!
The Eritrean government's concerns about Ethiopia's threats to its sovereignty are legitimate.
No country has the right to threaten another nation's territorial integrity or seize its territory by force.
But what about the rights and freedoms of the Eritrean people themselves?
More than 30 years after independence, Eritrea has never held national elections. Its 1997 constitution remains unimplemented. There is no independent judiciary, no political opposition, no free press, and no meaningful government accountability.
Indefinite national service has deprived generations of young Eritreans of their freedom and future. Thousands have fled their homeland, often risking their lives in search of opportunities and basic human rights.
The Eritrean government demands that Ethiopia respect international law. But when will it respect the fundamental rights of its own people?
It calls on the international community to defend Eritrea's sovereignty while denying Eritreans the right to participate in shaping their country's future.
We can condemn Ethiopian aggression without defending authoritarian rule in Eritrea. We can defend Eritrea's borders while demanding democracy, constitutional government, an independent judiciary, and an end to indefinite national service.
Eritreans did not sacrifice so much for independence simply to live without freedom, elections, or basic human rights.
Sovereignty belongs to the people, not to a president or a political party. They know they are doing the people wrong but they openly dont care.
Eritrea deserves protection from external aggression. Eritreans deserve protection from internal repression.
r/Eritrea • u/-EdilChri5tian • 9h ago
In a significant diplomatic nod to the current administration
r/Eritrea • u/Flat-Situation-3048 • 14h ago
Is this true or has AI joined in on the propaganda?
r/Eritrea • u/Kmnubiz • 16h ago
Opinion / Commentary Expert: "Eritrea miscalculated. Now it is too late to turn back." (Google Translation of Austrian Newspaper Article)
War in the Horn of Africa
Expert: "Eritrea miscalculated. Now it is too late to turn back."
Conflict expert Kjetil Tronvoll believes that Eritrea's attack on Ethiopia could herald the end of the totalitarian regime. President Isaias will likely have to strike a deal or step down himself.
Interview
/
Fabian Sommavilla
October 14, 2026, 05:00
111 posts
Read later
Two men stand smiling side by side; one is handing a key to the other. The flags of Ethiopia and Eritrea are visible in the background.
A picture from better times: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki celebrate the opening of the Eritrean embassy in Ethiopia together in July 2018. Today, the two countries are at war.
AFP/MICHAEL TEWELDE
A new war is raging in the Horn of Africa. Following the devastating Ethiopian civil war—which involved Eritrea and was fought against the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) between 2020 and 2022—Eritrea set its sights on the Ethiopian central government in Addis Ababa this autumn, joining forces with a rebel alliance led by the TPLF. Peace and conflict researcher Kjetil Tronvoll of the Oslo New University College explains in this interview what lies behind Eritrea's ill-conceived "flight forward," how this is destabilizing the country's totalitarian regime, and why the war could trigger a conflagration across the region.
STANDARD: It is very difficult to obtain reliable information from the region. What do you know? What do your sources say? Has the Eritrean army actually penetrated deep into Ethiopia? Tronvoll: Yes, the Eritrean army penetrated deep into Ethiopia; numerous sources and visual evidence confirm this. They were on the outskirts of the Tigrayan capital, Mekele, and intended to push even further south. A large number of troops were involved, equipped with heavy weaponry, artillery, and armored vehicles; direct clashes occurred with the Ethiopian army and the Tigray Peace Force—a group that, like the Ethiopian government, opposes the TPLF’s regional leadership in Tigray. However, Eritrea withdrew quite rapidly following the Ethiopian army’s counter-offensives and the use of air and drone strikes. The fighting took place primarily in rural areas rather than in cities. TPLF troops remain stationed in only a few areas—specifically in the mountains of central Tigray and along the border—but many fighters are abandoning their positions in haste and returning to their villages. High-ranking commanders have also surrendered to government forces.
Members of the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) pose in front of Alula Aba Nega International Airport in Mekele. The soldiers are wearing camouflage uniforms and red berets; some are armed with rifles. An airport building and a clear sky are visible in the background.
Ethiopian troops after recapturing the Mekele airport.
AFP/-
STANDARD: Why is Eritrea doing this? They are providing Ethiopia—which has seemingly been waiting for years for a war that might secure access to the sea—with a legal basis for a war of self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Tronvoll: Eritrea has been interfering in Ethiopian affairs in a destabilizing and destructive manner since the 1990s—economically, socially, politically, and in terms of security. This is nothing new. Eritrea funded and organized armed Ethiopian opposition groups until Abiy Ahmed came to power in Addis Ababa in 2018. From 2020 to 2022, Eritrea and Ethiopia then fought side by side in the war against Tigray. However, immediately after the signing of the Pretoria Agreement—which ended the Ethiopian civil war—relations between Asmara and Addis Ababa deteriorated once again because Isaias Afwerki, the President of Eritrea, failed to achieve his goal: the eradication of the TPLF.
STANDARD: Was the failure to include Eritrea in the Pretoria Agreement between the Ethiopian government and the TPLF a fundamental flaw of the deal?
Tronvoll: Yes! It was viewed as a domestic agreement following a civil war, rather than an internationalized conflict. Addis Ababa’s goal was not the eradication of the TPLF, but its capitulation. When the Ethiopian government sought to disarm Amhara forces in 2023 due to uprisings in the region, the Fano militia gained strength and was promptly supplied with resources by Eritrea once again. Then, when the "Alliance of Ethiopian People's Forces for Survival" formed against the government in Addis Ababa a few weeks ago, Eritrea was once again the driving force behind the effort to merge Fano and the TPLF.
STANDARD: But why is Eritrea attacking now, of all times?
Tronvoll: On one hand, the calculation made in Eritrea was purely rational and military. The country has little territory and, with a population of 2.5 million, is much smaller than Ethiopia, which has nearly 140 million people. Eritrea therefore sought to establish strategic depth by creating a buffer zone on the Ethiopian side of the border, as President Isaias harbored legitimate concerns regarding the Ethiopian government's plans to secure access to the sea. Isaias does not want a strong Ethiopia and simply refuses to grant them that access to the ocean, even though it would clearly be a win-win situation for both sides. After all, Eritrea isn't even using the port at Assab. Yet Isaias is convinced that only a weak Ethiopia can guarantee Eritrea's security. And indeed, many in Ethiopia believe that the former province of Eritrea should be brought back into the fold of the motherland.
STANDARD: So, was the attack an act of desperation?
Tronvoll: Yes, an attempt to topple the new "king"—as they call Abiy. Of course, hubris on the part of Eritrea and Isaias also plays a role, as they believe themselves to be invincible. However, they failed to keep pace with the evolution of modern warfare, such as drone combat. They also overestimated the TPLF. Yet the TPLF has become alienated from the people of Tigray. They are no longer the defenders of Tigray; they have become the army of the region's political rulers. And the people of Tigray have had enough of the TPLF politicians—of their mismanagement and their corruption.
A damaged multi-story building with broken windows that houses Tigray TV, the state broadcaster for the Tigray region of Ethiopia. The damage is the result of a drone strike in Mekelle on September 27, 2026. The sky is clear, and vegetation is visible in front of the building.
The building housing Tigray TV, the region's news broadcaster, following an Ethiopian drone strike.
AFP/-
STANDARD: How does that manifest itself?
Tronvoll: Government troops are behaving very differently than they did just a few years ago. In the run-up to the civil war, starting in 2020, Abiy Ahmed had spent two years stoking hostility toward Tigray. That had triggered a sense of unity within Tigray born of a sheer will to survive. But this time, Abiy is completely calm; he makes no comment on the TPLF’s transgressions, and the Ethiopian army, too, is trying its best to distinguish between combatants and civilians. People also feel much safer because the government sends troops from the allied Tigray Peace Force ahead during its efforts to retake territory. Eritrea miscalculated—underestimating the dynamics—and now it is too late to turn back. Ethiopians have been warning about this scenario for years, including at the UN. They have been preparing for years to exercise their legitimate right to self-defense.
STANDARD: This estrangement between the TPLF and the people also goes some way toward explaining how an alliance could be formed with Eritrea—an army involved in numerous war crimes against the people of Tigray during the 2020–2022 war.
Tronvoll: Yes, to some extent. However, the opportunistic shifting of alliances is the norm in this region of the world—part of a political culture where elites believe they can do whatever they want to the people. That stems from a feudal history.
STANDARD: What options are available to Abiy Ahmed, aside from capturing access to the sea? Somalia’s president recently claimed that they had never been contacted regarding a deal...
Tronvoll: That’s bullshit. There were several discussions. But the government in Mogadishu can’t even control Mogadishu. So, they certainly can’t guarantee a secure coastline for long-term trade. Ethiopia’s negotiations with Somaliland met with resistance from Somalia and the African Union. Djibouti is congested and gouges everyone. Abiy even managed to reach three deals with Eritrea during negotiations that lasted a year and a half, yet Isaias never signed them. Abiy wants, at the very least, sovereign control and a long-term lease for a naval base and a commercial port. They view having both as a necessity to secure logistics chains, and they want to project power in the region using air and naval forces.
STANDARD: Could this be the beginning of the end for Isaias’s dictatorship in Eritrea?
Tronvoll: I’ve said this before, and he is still there. Dictators are hard to get rid of, but I hope for the sake of the people of Eritrea that they are liberated from the regime. It depends on whether Ethiopia continues its offensive on Eritrean soil. I can’t assess that yet, although there have already been clashes at the border near Assab—likely initiated by Ethiopia. What is clear, however, is that if Ethiopia advances further, Isaias has exactly two options: He can have the TPLF offshoots in Eritrea arrested and strike a deal regarding the port of Assab to save his own skin. He only cares about himself and his power anyway, and wants to avoid death or exile. That might well be Abiy’s actual plan, because governing a dysfunctional Eritrea—a "failed state"—is not in his interest. Option two is likely his ousting.
STANDARD: Won’t Egypt or Sudan protect him from that?
Tronvoll: Sudan lacks the capacity. Egypt has the capacity but likely no interest in entering a direct confrontation with Ethiopia, given that Israel stands on Ethiopia’s side—and Israel, in turn, has no interest in the Red Sea becoming a region dominated by Islamic countries. The UAE has long been on Ethiopia’s side, and the Houthis are involved as well. In any case, it would be problematic for the US if two of its major security partners in the region—Israel and Egypt—were to fight each other in a proxy war; Washington would likely dissuade them from doing so. At the moment, I consider it unlikely, but there is a risk of it escalating into a regional conflagration.
STANDARD: How will Abiy deal with the remaining rebellions against him, should he decisively defeat the TPLF? Tronvoll: We shouldn't write off the TPLF completely just yet, even if things look that way right now. But clearly, if they are defeated, the only remaining effective fighting unit in the alliance would be the Fano—a classic guerrilla group. They cannot be defeated by drones alone; ground troops would be required. This conflict will continue, though Abiy is largely indifferent to it as long as his palace in Addis Ababa isn't under threat. Ethiopia has always had to deal with regional uprisings. (Fabian Sommavilla, October 14, 2026)
A middle-aged man with gray hair and a beard is wearing a dark jacket and a white shirt. He stands before a solid blue background with his arms crossed, smiling slightly at the camera.
Peace and conflict researcher Kjetil Tronvoll.
ONH
Kjetil Tronvoll (60) has conducted extensive fieldwork in Eritrea, Ethiopia, and a dozen other African countries. He is considered one of the world's leading experts on Ethiopia and Eritrea and has served as an advisor on political reconciliation processes and international peace mediation initiatives.
r/Eritrea • u/No-Imagination-3180 • 20h ago
Government Source Information Note regarding Eritrea Ethiopia Relations
https://shabait.com/2026/10/14/information-note-regarding-eritrea-ethiopia-relations/
Over the past three years, the Government of Ethiopia has sustained and progressively intensified its unprovoked war agenda against Eritrea under the rubric of acquiring “Sovereign access to the sea, through negotiations if possible and force if necessary”, in violation of the UN Charter and the 2018 Peace and Friendship Agreement between the two countries. Ethiopia’s acts of aggression and destabilization include the pronounced establishment of a Naval Force with jurisdiction over and strategic depth in Eritrea’s southern coastal region.
Taken together, these developments are tantamount to, and constitute, a brazen violation of Eritrea’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, in breach of the prohibition of the threat or use of force under Article 2(4) of the Charter of the United Nations.
Ethiopia’s Red Sea Access Campaign: Background and Recent Developments
The principal developments include:
In July 2023, PM Abiy Ahmed delivered a closed-door briefing to federal lawmakers and military officials – subsequently broadcasted to the public – explicitly claiming an “inherent right” to the Red Sea, framing it as an existential imperative that would inevitably lead to military conflict if ignored.
This expansionist claim was amplified by the President of the Oromia region (October 7, 2023) and senior ambassadors, who provocatively declared that traditional Oromo celebrations (Irrecha) would be held along the Red Sea coast, while military generals publicly displayed maps incorporating Eritrea’s southern coastline.
On October 13, 2023, PM Abiy publicly declared an ambition to secure “sovereign access to the sea by any means necessary,” stating Ethiopia would not remain a “prisoner of geography.”
In subsequent briefings to the House of the People’s Representatives on February 2, 2026, Abiy drew direct inspiration from Israel’s illegal annexation of the Golan Heights, signaling a clear intent to annex the sovereign Eritrean Port of Assab by force.
During the 38th AU Summit in Addis Ababa, held on February 15, 2025 (during an executive council session), an official map incorporating sovereign Eritrean and Somali territories – including the Port of Assab – was displayed directly behind the Ethiopian President breaching continental and international law.
On September 2, 2025, Major General Teshome Gemechu, Head of Foreign Relations Department of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces stated, “the Red Sea belongs to Ethiopia. We will take it back at any cost! Assab is Ethiopia’s Red Sea province.”
In an absolute violation of international law, on October 28, 2025, the Prime Minister further publicly bragged that he “has found no document that asserts Eritrea’s independence,” while PP state media channels actively called on citizens to mobilize and “withdraw” recognition of Eritrea’s 1993 sovereignty, labeling it a “historical mistake.”
On November 3, 2025, Ethiopia’s former Ambassador to Kenya, Retired General Bacha Debele, explicitly stated in a public interview that the Port of Assab is an “Ethiopian asset” and alluded to operational strategies to seize it using military force.
On February 22, 2026, during a Special Forces graduation in Awassa, PM Abiy defined the military’s mission as “ensuring and maintaining the security of the Red Sea from the edge of Somalia to the Port of Massawa.”
On September 21, 2026, Ambassador Dina Mufti, a member of the Federal Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, reiterated that Ethiopia’s quest for sovereign sea access is non-negotiable and aggressively demanded international pressure against Eritrea.
On 27 September last month, the Ethiopian Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff, General Abebaw Tadesse, openly declared that “the offensive launched in Tigray will not stop there”. He went on to state: “Mekelle is a mere stop-over, our ultimate destination is Assab; our main objective is to install our flag in the Red Sea”.
On October 12, 2026, Lencho Bati, Director General of Ethiopia’s Diaspora Service, ranted “the Ethiopian military that suffered in the deserts of Tigray, will not stop before taking off its shoes by the Red Sea and wash its feet on Eritrean Red Sea waters.”
As recent as October 11, 2026 – the Ethiopian Air Force Commander General Yilma Merdasa stated that their main goal is the recovery of sea access, particularly through the Eritrean port of Assab.
The Pretoria Agreement and Ethiopia’s Internal Political and Security Challenges
Eritrea’s position is that the Pretoria Agreement of 2 November 2022 is an internal Ethiopian agreement between the Federal Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Eritrea is not a party to the Agreement and has no role in its implementation.
Allegations of Support for Armed Groups Targeting Eritrea
The Government of Eritrea further raises concerns that Ethiopian territory has been used to host anti-Eritrea armed groups. In this context, Eritrea draws attention to the Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO), which is profiled by the Terrorism Research & Analysis Consortium (TRAC) and has been associated in open-source reporting with armed activity directed against the Eritrean Government. Moreover, Ethiopia continues to publicly harbor various ‘color-revolution’ fringe groups, whose terrorist nature was confirmed by Germany’s Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office. Eritrea further maintains that other anti-Eritrean groups have also operated from Ethiopian territory and have received all kinds military and logistical support.
Deterioration of Eritrea–Ethiopia Diplomatic Relations
The deterioration of diplomatic relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia must be considered against the broader backdrop of escalating rhetoric on Red Sea access and growing bilateral tensions. From Eritrea’s perspective, the diplomatic rupture was preceded by developments suggesting a progressive weakening of normal bilateral communication.
The following sequence of events warrants clarification and scrutiny:
Since May 2026: The Ethiopian Embassy in Asmara ceased responding to official communications and substantially curtailed engagement with Eritrea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, impeding established diplomatic channels.
8 August 2026: The Ethiopian government effectively abandoned its Embassy in Asmara at 5:00 PM, when the remaining four Ethiopian diplomatic staff members quietly left Eritrea via Tarco Airways. They intentionally failed to notify the Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, violating the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The circumstances of their departure would merit clarification considering the normal requirements of diplomatic practice and communication between receiving and sending States.
1 October 2026: the Ethiopian government following its announcement to close its Embassy in Asmara on October 1, 2026, expelled all ten Eritrean diplomats, including the Chargé d’affaires of the Embassy accredited as Permanent Representative to AU and UNECA as well as all three diplomats covering the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). This act flagrantly violates the 2000 AU constitutive Act, the 1965 General Convention on the Immunities and Privileges of the OAU, the 2008 AU-Ethiopia Headquarters Agreements, and the 1958 UNECA-Ethiopia Headquarters Agreement.
As it happens, what Ethiopia initiated against Eritrea is not an isolated incident; it has since solidified into a dangerous pattern of regional destabilization and expansionism across the Horn of Africa, as demonstrated by the following actions:
Ethiopia continues to provide military and logistical support to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) through a secret military base in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, serving as an active conduit for weapons, drones, and mercenaries that have worsened the catastrophic civil war in Sudan.
The Ethiopian government has been involved in a massive shopping spree of weapons sponsored by destabilizing external actors.
To the Security Council
As explicitly stated in statement to the UNSC on 9 October last week, Eritrea calls on the UN Security Council to condemn Ethiopia’s deplorable declaration of war against Eritrea, which will inculcate huge devastation to the peoples of both countries and destabilize the whole region, and take the requisite deterrent measures against it in accordance with Chapter VII of the UN Charter.
Eritrea calls on the Security Council to urge Ethiopia to respect Eritrea’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to refrain from actions and rhetoric aimed at undermining Eritrea’s independence and territorial integrity.
Conclusion
There is no good faith dispute between Eritrea and Ethiopia. The tensions stems from and is fully predicated on Ethiopia’s unprovoked and declared policy of aggression against Eritrea.
r/Eritrea • u/Fearless-Anteater-90 • 1d ago
Discussion / Questions Sad picture that was taken from a YouTubers live interview in Asmara
While a YouTuber was doing an interview with an Eritrean diaspora on the streets of Asmara, this starving middle age guy comes begging and asking for food, guess what, that selfish diaspora man did, stops the interview and said “don’t say stuff like that” and told him to go away.
r/Eritrea • u/Long_Roof_1607 • 1d ago
Great TikTok acc
Hello everyone, I saw on TikTok this great acc that talks about the imperial history/legacy of Ethiopia and its continuous actions today. Although I’m not Eritrean or Ethiopian myself this account was very eye opening because it debunked all the major sources claiming that Eritrea invaded Ethiopia. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPLS5L9tY/
r/Eritrea • u/WaveOfWinter • 1d ago
Discussion / Questions Going on a date with an Eritrean girl as an American
I’m going on a date with a lovely girl from Eritrea in the coming weeks. We’ve known each other for a while now so Ive heard and learned a decent amount about her culture.
I’m super excited (and a bit nervous😭) and was just wondering if there’s anything I can do to make it extra special for her, or maybe things I should look out for or avoid doing. As far as date plans I think we are going to go to an Ethiopian restaurant that she likes as she’s excited to have me try some of her cultural food. Still working out what to do after dinner 🤔
Questionable Source Ethiopian News Outlet UMD Media Falsely Claims Ethiopian Invasion of Deba Sima, Eritrea Near Assab; Same Outlet’s also claimed that Eritrea invaded Ethiopia last week, no evidences, no satellite imagery, sources are from Ethiopia
UMD Media Falsely Claims Ethiopian Invasion of Deba Sima Near Assab; Same Outlet’s Unverified Eritrean Incursion Report Lacks Evidence
The Canadian-based Ethiopian news outlets UMD Media falsely claimed that Ethiopia’s army invaded Eritrea’s southern Red Sea region and occupied Deba Sima village near Assab based on Ethiopian government released account.
The Same Media Pushed an Unverified Eritrean Incursion Into Ethiopia Last Week With Zero Evidence
The same media made an unverified claim of an Eritrean incursion into Ethiopia last week, quoted by Sajid Nadeem, brought no evidences, no satellite imagery of Eritrean forces inside Ethiopia or entering Ethiopia from Eritrea.
Critical Threats Could Not Confirm Eritrean Forces Inside Ethiopia Using Satellite Imagery
Even the American think tank Critical Threats could not verify an Eritrean incursion into Ethiopia and Eritrean military presence in Ethiopia based on satellite imagery. CTP has been unable to confirm unverified claims that Eritrean troops have increased their presence in Tigray since the fall of Mekele. The sources, which include the independent news outlet UMD Media, The Ethiopian Conflict Map, Sajid Nadeem, journalist and researcher Martin Plaut, lawyer and human rights activist Getachew Temare, and pro-Ethiopian federal government X account Conflict Zone, reported the presence of Eritrean forces near the border towns Irob, Rama, Sheraro, and Zalambessa. UMD Media, Getachew, and Conflict Zone reported that the Eritrean forces include mechanized units. Getachew alleged that Eritrean forces have begun digging trenches in Tigray, while Nadeem claimed that the ENDF had conducted drone strikes against Eritrean forces in the region. Analyst Rashid Abdi separately reported that Eritrean forces have engaged in a buildup on the Eritrea-Ethiopia border. The sources did not include any supporting media or evidence, and CTP was unable to verify any of the reports via supplementary sources. CTP was also unable to find any corroborating information showing Eritrean deployments or new defensive installations in reviews of satellite imagery of the aforementioned areas from October 3. The United States and European Union called on October 3 and October 5, respectively, for Ethiopia and Eritrea to respect each other’s territorial integrity and engage in dialogue.
October Report Names UMD Media, Sajid Nadeem and Martin Plaut and States Their Sources Are Not Verified
In its October report it mentioned UMD Media, Sajid Nadeem and Martin Plaut and said their sources are not verified.
UMD Media Now Says Southern Red Sea Invasion and Border Clashes Are Not Verified by Local Afar Sources
Now UMD Media says the Ethiopian-Eritrean border clashes and Ethiopia’s invasion of the southern Red Sea region is not verified according to local Afar sources. Afar Sources Dismissed Reports of ENDF Advance into Eritrea; Shelling and Troop Movements Reported Near Adigrat Today. Local sources in Ethiopia’s Afar Region who spoke with UMD Media have dismissed earlier reports that Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) troops crossed into Eritrea and captured Daba Sima, near the Bure front.
Both of UMD’s Accusations Lack Accuracy and Hard Evidence and Appear as Misinformation
Both accusations by UMD of an Eritrean incursion into Ethiopia and an Ethiopian invasion of the southern Red Sea region of Eritrea are not accurate and it seems to be misinformation, with no hard evidences.
Ethiopian State Media EBC Published an October 8 Article Claiming Evidence of Eritrean Soldiers Invading and Occupying Adigrat is unverified Then Deleted It After Exposure
Ethiopian state media EBC article of October 8 of the Adigrat reports in which it stated there are verified evidences that Eritrean soldiers have been invading and occupying Adigrat Ethiopia, connected the accusations with Ethiopia’s claims on the Red Sea, then deleted the article after I posted the article on X on Sunday said this can be used against Ethiopia at the UN and ICJ. I saved the article because I was aware the Ethiopian regime would delete and they delete but I kept it have link text and screenshot and uploaded it on X and my site. There are not verified evidence of Eritrean troops in Adigrat. It is a verification gap and unverified.
Journalists With Agendas Amplified Unverified Claims About Eritrea Using Ethiopian Outlets
Some journalists with certain agendas were using this Ethiopian news outlet and shared what can be seen as misinformation about Eritrea, such as the recent unverified Ethiopian invasion of Eritrea’s southern Red Sea region and the unverified Eritrean occupation of northern Ethiopia.
Ethiopian Side Wages Coordinated Information War to Create Facts on the Ground and Seize Eritrea’s Coast
It seems that there is a well-coordinated agenda by the Ethiopian side to wage an information war with Eritrea to create facts on the ground and to invade Eritrea and take Eritrea’s southern Red Sea coastline by force.
Why Do Journalists Spread Baseless Accusation and Misinformation Before Evidence While Ethiopian Claims Are Treated as Facts
Why would journalists intentionally spread misinformation without waiting for evidences and confirmation? Why are Ethiopian allegations taken as if they are facts?
UK NGO ACLED Employs Former Ethiopian Government Lawyer Who Makes Baseless Accusations Against Eritrea
Why is the so-called UK-based NGO ACLED having a former Ethiopian government lawyer Jelalae Getachew in a position as senior analyst for East Africa and allowed to make baseless accusations against Eritrea of Eritrean troops entering Ethiopia without providing any credible evidences?
ACLED Director Clionadh Raleigh Expressed Sympathy for Ethiopian Invasion of Eritrea’s Southern Red Sea Region
Why did the director of the UK-based NGO Clionadh Raleigh sympathize with an Ethiopian invasion of Eritrea’s southern Red Sea region? In February 2026 she said Ethiopia with its population has a right to say Ethiopia needs sea access.
Raleigh Stated Ethiopians Have 199 Reasons to Invade Eritrea and Seize Assab While Claiming Eritrea Was Ethiopian Territory
And she also stated in the ACLED report of October 2026 that the Ethiopian people and government have 199 reasons why they believe Ethiopia has the right to invade Eritrea and seize Eritrea’s Assab port. And she claimed Eritrea was Ethiopian territory.
She Disregards the UN Charter Condemning Wars of Aggression to Invade and Annex Another Country
She doesn’t care about the UN Charter which condemns a war of aggression to invade and annex another country.
She Misinterpreted Ethiopia’s Illegal Annexation and Occupation of Eritrea From 1961 to 1991
And she misinterpreted Ethiopia’s illegal annexation and occupation of Eritrea from 1961-1991.
All These Unverified Claims and Sympathies Form Part of a Larger Pattern of Ethiopian Information Warfare Against Eritrean Sovereignty
All of the above unverified claims by UMD Media, the sharing by journalists with agendas, the baseless accusations from ACLED’s former Ethiopian government lawyer, Clionadh Raleigh’s statements about Ethiopia having a right to invade for sea access and Assab, the deleted EBC article on Adigrat where the claimed evidence of Eritrean soldiers invading and occupying is unverified and a verification gap, and all the rest, show a coordinated effort to justify aggression against Eritrea without hard evidence or respect for international law.
Footnotes
- False claims of an Ethiopian invasion of Eritrea’s southern Red Sea region and Ethiopian forces capturing the Eritrean town of Debe Sima: https://x.com/UMDMedia_/status/2109553361066541175?s=20
- UMD withdrawing from the claim: Afar Sources Dismissed Reports of ENDF Advance into Eritrea; Shelling and Troop Movements Reported Near Adigrat Today. https://www.umdmedia.com/article/afar-sources-dismissed-reports-of-endf-advance-into-eritrea-shelling-and-troop-movements-reported-near-adigrat-today
- Critical Threats dismissing UMD Media sources (full Twitter/X version quote): CTP has been unable to confirm unverified claims that Eritrean troops have increased their presence in Tigray since the fall of Mekele. The sources, which include the independent news outlet UMD Media, The Ethiopian Conflict Map, Sajid Nadeem, journalist and researcher Martin Plaut, lawyer and human rights activist Getachew Temare, and pro-Ethiopian federal government X account Conflict Zone, reported the presence of Eritrean forces near the border towns Irob, Rama, Sheraro, and Zalambessa.[xxxiv] UMD Media, Getachew, and Conflict Zone reported that the Eritrean forces include mechanized units.[xxxv] Getachew alleged that Eritrean forces have begun digging trenches in Tigray, while Nadeem claimed that the ENDF had conducted drone strikes against Eritrean forces in the region.[xxxvi] Analyst Rashid Abdi separately reported that Eritrean forces have engaged in a buildup on the Eritrea-Ethiopia border.[xxxvii] The sources did not include any supporting media or evidence, and CTP was unable to verify any of the reports via supplementary sources. CTP was also unable to find any corroborating information showing Eritrean deployments or new defensive installations in reviews of satellite imagery of the aforementioned areas from October 3. The United States and European Union called on October 3 and October 5, respectively, for Ethiopia and Eritrea to respect each other’s territorial integrity and engage in dialogue.[xxxviii] https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/ethiopia-war-security-review
r/Eritrea • u/SOSXCTRL • 1d ago
Discussion / Questions Awraja politics is cancer
A lot of Eritreans think awraja-ism and its associated politics is petty stuff spewed by backward people but that stuff is like poison and it seeps in into general society and is easily exploitable internally and externally. We are seeing this play out in Tigray right now. We’ve seen how people in Raya, Mekelle and Agame are welcoming the federal army and delusionally claim they are liberating them from TPLF whom they call Gujile Adwa because many of the senior party members are from the Adwa region. This is despite the fact that all these regions were being indiscriminately bombed by Abiy a few years ago and he even bragged about reducing Mekelle, the Tigrayan capital, to the level of Beshasha (the village he grew up in). Abiy is very aware of this regional animosity which is why he specifically have men from these regions like Getachew Reda (Raya), Tsadkan (Agame) and Tadesse Werede (Enderta/Mekelle) under his thumb to effectively split the Tigrayan population into two factions and avoid a united front like he did in his previous invasion of Tigray. Moreover, a third of the Tigrayan land is effectively lost now and the Tigrayans from there are scattered all over Tigray and eastern Sudan as refugees with no way to return. Eritreans have a lot to learn from this. When you engage in nonsense awraja politics, you become a perfect tool for the enemy who uses your misplaced priorities to divide and conquer you all in the end.
Pictures Picture of a Worthog drinking water in Gash Barka region of Eritrea
Picture of a Worthog drinking water in Gash Barka region of Eritrea
#Warthogs (Phacochoerus africanus aeliani, the Eritrean subspecies) belong to the pig family Suidae.
They live in the open savannas, acacia woodlands, and scrubby grasslands of western and lowland Eritrea (including Gash-Barka), usually near water sources.
Their main natural predators are lions, leopards, hyenas, crocodiles, and wild dogs. #Eritrea #Wildlife
picture courtesy: Madote http://www.madote.com/2010/04/photos-of-eritreas-wildlife-animals.html
r/Eritrea • u/Jehovany_T • 1d ago
Discussion / Questions Back in Action
Well my tigrinya speaking people I guess we are back to square one, TPLF and Shabia at it again against the Ethiopian government. I predict that if Abiy does make a decent push into Eritrea, that he has the equivalent of the TPF for TPLF with Eritrea. I remember Abiy having this event/protest in Addis of Eritreans who wanted the government of Eritrea to fall. I wonder will Abiy use them as a way to have a group that appears Eritrean to take over Eritrea, I believe so. What do you guys think will happen, will the TPLF have any major pushes or is everyone preparing for a major push. Let's see
r/Eritrea • u/Fantastic_Raisin6319 • 1d ago
Discussion / Questions Travelling to eritrea
Hey every body, its my first time posting on reddit. So i have a question regarding travel to eritrea these days since war news are rampant this days. I have talked to family members in eritrea and they all confirmed that nothing is going on there except some unconfirmed news so i do yall think its safe or not and why. Thanks in advance.
r/Eritrea • u/Ok_Primary6454 • 2d ago
Discussion / Questions Is eritrea safe for tourist
is it possible to travel to eritrea safely nowadays I am just facinated by the life of eretria
if there is any eritrean citizen plz tell
r/Eritrea • u/WeakCharge8929 • 2d ago
Opinion / Commentary M-Nakfa
erihimbol.comEritrea is rolling out M-Nakfa, similar to kenyas Mpesa according to himbol. It’s currently meant to start working within Eritrea only for now.