Residents of northern Ethiopia's Tigray region say they have seen truckloads of Eritrean soldiers moving south through their towns, accounts echoed by a commander allied with Ethiopia's government. Reuters said that if confirmed, the sightings would mark the first verified presence of Eritrean forces on Ethiopian soil since fighting between Ethiopia's federal government and an opposition alliance resumed in late September.
The reports could not be independently verified. The BBC says it is unable to report from Tigray and surrounding areas, and the Associated Press said it could not verify the accounts it received. Eritrea's government has denied that its forces are present in Ethiopia.
One resident of Adigrat, a town about 25km south of the Eritrean border, told BBC Tigrinya that about 40 trucks carrying soldiers were moving south. A second resident reported seeing 20 to 30 large trucks with Eritrean registration plates heading toward Edaga Hamus, and said acquaintances travelling the route had seen vehicles carrying heavy weapons, including anti-aircraft guns, with some troops moving on foot.
At least two witnesses told Reuters they saw dozens of Eritrean soldiers drive through Adigrat in two trucks on Wednesday, identifying them by their off-white camouflage uniforms. The witnesses spoke anonymously because of security concerns.
Ermiyas Ababu, a Tigray Peace Force commander based in Mekelle, said Eritrean personnel entered Adigrat on Tuesday and Idaga Hamus on Wednesday, and that Eritrean military officers and commanders were conducting surveillance in Idaga Hamus, citing reports from his personnel in the area.
Conflict-monitoring group ACLED said Eritrean troops crossed the border at Zalambessa on Wednesday and that Ethiopian military drones targeted them at Guada as they travelled toward Idaga Hamus. A resident of Edaga Hamus separately told the BBC that Eritrean troops had passed through the town and that drone strikes had occurred nearby, targeting soldiers. The AP said ACLED, which provided its account through East Africa analyst Jalale Getachew Birru, had not responded to an inquiry about the basis for its claims.
Eritrea's Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel denied that Eritrean forces were present, calling the witness accounts part of an Ethiopian plan to justify a war of aggression against its smaller neighbour. In a post on X, he accused Ethiopia's ruling party of creating "a fallacious narrative of 'self-defense'." He did not specifically address the movements or strikes described by ACLED.
The reported movements come days after the two neighbours severed diplomatic relations. Eritrea announced the move after Ethiopia expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats and closed its embassy in Asmara.
Eritrea was a key ally of landlocked Ethiopia during the 2020-2022 war in Tigray, fighting against the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) in one of the deadliest conflicts this century. Relations have since deteriorated, largely over Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's ambition to take ownership of one of Eritrea's Red Sea ports. Abiy reiterated on Monday that his country must have access to the Red Sea, while Ethiopia's Foreign Ministry said it remained committed to dialogue and peaceful engagement with its neighbours.
On the ground, TPLF forces withdrew from Tigray's regional capital Mekelle over the weekend, and government-allied fighters entered the city on Sunday. Mekelle, about 115km south of Adigrat, is now under army control. In Shire, residents told the AP by telephone on Wednesday evening that they had witnessed TPLF forces withdrawing earlier that day, and that government troops and allied forces had not yet entered the town.
The deployment of Eritrean troops in Tigray has raised fears that the internal conflict could escalate into a broader regional conflict. On Saturday, the US State Department urged both Asmara and Addis Ababa to exercise restraint, warning that a conflict would jeopardise US collaboration with both countries.
What is confirmed: Ethiopia and Eritrea have severed diplomatic ties; TPLF forces have withdrawn from Mekelle, which is now under army control; and witnesses, a pro-government commander, and ACLED have reported Eritrean movements inside Tigray. What remains unknown: whether the reported Eritrean deployments and drone strikes are as extensive as described, and what Eritrea's objectives are. Awaited: independent verification of the troop movements, and any official response from Ethiopia's government and the international community.