MEKELLE, Ethiopia (AP) — Eritrean soldiers have entered two towns in northern Ethiopia, a commander allied with Ethiopia’s government said, as residents reported that Tigrayan opposition forces had withdrawn from Shire, a major town in northwestern Tigray.
Ermiyas Ababu, a Tigray Peace Force commander based in Mekelle, said Eritrean personnel entered Adigrat on Tuesday and Idaga Hamus on Wednesday. Citing reports from his personnel in the area, he said Eritrean officers
and commanders were conducting surveillance in Idaga Hamus.
Separately, the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data monitoring group, known as ACLED, said Eritrean troops crossed the border at Zelambesa on Wednesday and came under drone attack at Guada as they traveled toward Idaga Hamus. The group attributed the strikes to Ethiopia’s military.
The Associated Press could not independently verify either account.
Jalale Getachew Birru, an East Africa expert at ACLED, said sources identified the Eritrean troops by their uniforms, vehicles and license plates. Witnesses reported suspected Ethiopian drone strikes on Eritrean positions.
Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel said in a statement: “We are not in the business of refuting wild allegations or narratives.”
He accused Ethiopia of jeopardizing regional peace and security through its pursuit of “sovereign access to the sea,” but did not explicitly confirm or deny that Eritrean troops had crossed the border.
Fighting has resumed in recent weeks between Ethiopian government forces and an opposition alliance that includes the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, or TPLF.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed reiterated Monday that his landlocked country must have access to the Red Sea. Ethiopia lost its coastline when Eritrea became independent in 1993.
Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry said Monday that it remained committed to dialogue and peaceful engagement with its neighbors.
Eritrea has denied Ethiopia’s allegations that it supports the TPLF. Last week, it announced it was severing diplomatic ties after Ethiopia expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats and closed its embassy in Asmara.
Shire residents Mesu’ud Ahmed and Abadi Halefom said they saw TPLF forces withdrawing Wednesday. The town has been a major refuge for people displaced by fighting in Tigray and a base for humanitarian aid operations.
“TPLF left but the government forces and their allies did not enter the town. But we hear that they are coming,” Mesu’ud told the AP. “Everyone has closed their shops in Shire and moved their merchandise for fear of looting.”
Government-allied fighters entered Tigray’s regional capital, Mekelle, on Sunday after the TPLF announced its withdrawal. The Tigray Peace Force imposed an overnight curfew there Wednesday.
The force includes former members of the TPLF’s armed wing. Ermiyas said Tuesday that it was working with Ethiopian federal troops to expand its control.
Government services in Mekelle had yet to resume Thursday. Police stations, district offices and the mayor’s office remained closed, and no interim administration had been established.
Many businesses remained closed amid fears of looting and robbery, although some cafes and small shops were open, selling food and groceries.
The road south toward Addis Ababa had reopened after fighting disrupted supplies last week, allowing fuel and other goods to reach the city again.
The TPLF joined six other opposition groups last month in an alliance seeking to oust Abiy. Fighting escalated late last month, undermining the November 2022 peace agreement that ended a two-year war.
_________
Filmon Equar Hailu in Mekelle and Amir Aman Kiyaro in Hamburg, Germany, contributed to this report.
