Eritrea has responded to last week’s accusations by Tigray’s political leadership regarding Asmara’s responsibility for the resumption of fighting along some border areas.
On May 17, the Eritrean government accused the TPLF of being engaged in the preparation of a large-scale attack on Eritrea, with the intent of regaining what it considers territories lost during the recent conflict.
According to numerous local accounts, fighting is reportedly still going on in several parts of the border between Eritrea and the Ethiopian regional state of Tigray, and especially in the area of the town of Badme and the town of Rama, where artillery exchanges are reportedly still ongoing.
Such clashes, according to Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Meskel, would not be attributable to an action launched by Eritrea, but rather part of a broader plan by the TPLF to launch a wide-ranging attack against the Eritrean border.
According to the Eritrean minister of communication, this military operation would be decided to retake the disputed border areas between the two countries, and later recognized by Ethiopian President Abiy Ahmed as part of Eritrean sovereignty. A decision never accepted by the TPLF leadership, which has reportedly now decided to regain them.
No response to the Eritrean accusations has been provided by the Tigray regional government, which on the contrary has continued to accuse Eritrea of conducting continuous incursions along the border while also keeping troops engaged through constant artillery action.
It is impossible at present to verify the veracity of either side, although it appears unlikely that the TPLF forces would have the necessary operational capacity at this time to plan and launch a large-scale attack against Eritrean forces positioned not only in the disputed border areas but also far deeper especially in the northern territories of Tigray.
