Fighting in the region broke out two weeks ago after months of tension between the government and the party that controls Tigray, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). Both blame one another for violating a 2022 deal that ended a two-year civil war. Ethiopia has also accused Eritrea of backing the TPLF - something Asmara has previously denied.
The latest unrest follows the launch in September of a new alliance of armed groups in Ethiopia, which includes the TPLF. Over the weekend, TPLF forces withdrew from Tigray's main city of Mekelle, which is 115km south of Adigrat and is now under army control. Eritrea was a key ally of landlocked Ethiopia during the 2020-2022 war, fighting against the TPLF in what was one of the most deadly conflicts this century.
Eritrean soldiers have crossed into northern Ethiopia heading towards an area where clashes have been taking place between national army troops and regional forces, residents in the Tigrayan town of Adigrat have told the BBC. According to multiple accounts, Eritrean troops have moved from the border town of Zalambessa towards central Tigray, with convoys reportedly passing through Adigrat and heading toward Edaga Hamus.
A resident of Adigrat, who requested anonymity for security reasons, told BBC Tigrinya that they saw about 40 trucks carrying soldiers, with the convoy moving south. A second resident reported seeing troop movements, initially at night, with trucks having Eritrean registration plates passing through the city. Some residents reported seeing up to 60 trucks carrying soldiers who were later deployed in mountainous terrain near Edaga Hamus.
Images circulating on social media appear to show heavily loaded military trucks carrying uniformed personnel towards Adigrat, Edaga Hamus and possibly Wukro, another key town along the corridor between Adigrat and Mekelle. The BBC has not independently verified the images. Sources in Wukro told the BBC that national army soldiers and allied fighters had entered the town on Wednesday after an exchange of heavy weapons.
The reported return of Eritrean forces has sparked anxiety among many of Tigray's residents, with some recalling the atrocities allegedly committed by soldiers from Eritrea during the recent civil war. One Adigrat resident said that seeing Eritrean soldiers again was emotionally distressing, with people saddened to see them back again. A resident of Edaga Hamus also reported Eritrean troops passing through the town.
In a recent interview with private station Fana Television, senior Ethiopian government official Abraham Belay accused Eritrea of direct participation in the conflict. He stated that the Eritrean army has participated with its full capacity and logistics, with many Eritrean soldiers killed and captured.
Key points
- Eritrean troops have moved deep into Ethiopia's Tigray region as fighting escalates.
- The conflict has sparked anxiety among Tigray residents, recalling past atrocities.
- Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of backing the TPLF, which Eritrea denies.
