Ethiopian troops reach Adwa, 40 km from the Eritrean border
Ethiopia and Eritrea blame each other for provoking war before the UN, with relations severed since Oct. 1 and no diplomatic channel left.
Ethiopian federal forces and allied fighters entered Adwa, a historic city in northern Tigray about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Eritrea, on Sunday, Oct. 11. The report comes from the Brussels-based analysis center EEPA, which describes an entry without resistance after fighters of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) withdrew.
The day before, troops had entered Adigrat, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the border, according to Al Jazeera, which cites Reuters, AP and verified footage. In early October the government had retaken Mekelle, the regional capital, after a rebel alliance with the TPLF attacked government positions on Sept. 23.
As the front moves, Addis Ababa and Asmara are accusing each other before the UN Security Council. Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos wrote that Eritrea committed "a blatant act of aggression" and that Ethiopia may defend itself. Ethiopian officials say Eritrean soldiers advanced up to 60 kilometers (37 miles) into Tigray and put their number at up to 8 000, according to France 24, with AFP. Eritrea denies it: its foreign minister, Osman Saleh, asked the Council to condemn a "deplorable declaration of war."
The UN still has no confirmed figures on displaced people, according to UN News. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "gravely concerned" and urged states in the region to refrain from the use of force.
The two countries fought a border war from 1998 to 2000. Ethiopia, landlocked since Eritrea's independence, claims a right to a sea outlet, and Eritrea reads that as a threat to its port of Assab. There have been no diplomatic relations since Oct. 1: that day Ethiopia closed its embassy in Asmara and Eritrea broke ties. For analyst Hossamaldeen Ibrahim, that removed the last channel for containing the crisis.
An international news agency has yet to confirm the capture of Adwa, and no one has independently verified the Eritrean presence in Tigray, which Asmara denies.
