Eritrea has urged the international community to “put pressure” on Ethiopia to respect “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbors,” amid rising tensions between the two Horn of Africa countries.

Ethiopia and Eritrea have had a tumultuous relationship since the latter’s independence in 1993. Between 1998 and 2000, a bloody war over territorial disputes left tens of thousands dead.

In 2018, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed signed a peace agreement with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, who has ruled Eritrea with an iron grip since 1993. This agreement earned Abiy Ahmed the Nobel Peace Prize the following year.

Relations later soured after the end of the Tigray War in 2022, where Eritrean forces had supported Ethiopian troops against the rebels.

Abiy Ahmed’s ambitions to secure sea access for his landlocked country have further angered Eritrea, which accuses Ethiopia of eyeing the Eritrean port of Assab.

“Eritrea is perplexed by Ethiopia’s misguided and outdated ambitions regarding maritime access and a naval base, whether through diplomacy or military force,” Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel wrote Tuesday night on X, echoing statements made by the Eritrean Foreign Minister to foreign diplomats.

“Eritrea urges the international community and its relevant bodies to put pressure on Ethiopia to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbors,” Gebremeskel added.

Asmara also dismissed as “false accusations” claims of “alleged Eritrean preparations for war against Ethiopia.”

In February, the NGO Human Rights Concern Eritrea (HRCE) stated that Asmara had ordered a “nationwide military mobilization” for all citizens under the age of 60.

AFP has not been able to independently verify this information.

Last week, a security source, speaking anonymously, reported that convoys carrying weapons were heading toward northern Afar, an Ethiopian region bordering Eritrea.

“At any moment, war between Ethiopia and Eritrea could break out,” warned General Tsadkan Gebretensae, a strategist for the Tigray forces, in an article published on Africa Report on March 10.

Tigray, which experienced one of the deadliest wars in recent decades with at least 600,000 deaths, has recently seen clashes between two factions of the ruling party, raising fears of a return to violence.