Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of preparing to wage war against it

Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of preparing to wage war against it, in the latest sign of escalating tensions between the two countries over control of the Red Sea. 

In a letter to the United Nations Secretary-General on 2 October, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos claimed that Eritrea was colluding with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), an opposition group based in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region.  

Ethiopia also accused Eritrea and the TPLF of "funding, mobilizing and directing armed groups" in Ethiopia's Amhara region, where the federal army has been fighting rebels. 

Eritrea has not yet commented on the letter. 

The relationship between the two countries has become increasingly strained in recent months, reviving their shared bloody history. 

Eritrea took control of the Red Sea coastline when it gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993. 

The border war that opposed the two countries between 1998 and 2000 killed tens of thousands of people.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed eased lasting tensions when he took office in 2018. 

But Ethiopia has been pushing to regain access to the Red Sea in recent years, which has strained its relationship with its neighbour. 

In his letter, the Ethiopian foreign minister said his country hoped to negotiate with the Eritrean government over this issue.