Tigray: Eritrean soldiers seen in Adigrat, Asmara severs all diplomatic ties with Addis Ababa

Eritrean soldiers were spotted on October 7, 2026, in Adigrat, in northern Ethiopian Tigray, according to witnesses interviewed by Reuters and AFP. This would be the first reported presence of Eritrean forces in Ethiopia since the resumption of fighting on September 23, 2026, between the federal army and an alliance of seven armed groups including the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

At least two residents told Reuters they saw dozens of soldiers passing through Adigrat in two trucks, recognizable by their off-white camouflage fatigues. Adigrat is located about twenty kilometers from the Eritrean border; a local official cited by AFP claims that these troops have been there for several days and are advancing southward.

Asmara does not deny

Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Meskel did not deny the border crossing: he accuses the Ethiopian government of constructing a narrative of "self-defense" to mask what he describes as a war of aggression. Gebreigziabher Beyene, commander of the Tigray Peace Force, which supports the federal government, states for his part that the Eritrean army entered Tigray in uniform and "equipped with heavy weapons."

The rupture is also diplomatic. Addis Ababa announced the closure of its embassy in Asmara and the expulsion of ten Eritrean diplomats; Eritrea responded by severing all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia, stating it had "no other option," according to Al Jazeera.

Mekelle retaken, drones continue

Federal forces and their allies have entered Mekelle, the regional capital of Tigray, after the TPLF confirmed its withdrawal and the "temporary" relocation of its administration. In Adwa, a resident reported to AFP that drone strikes hit hotels over the weekend, killing several civilians and leaving four injured. No overall toll of casualties or displaced persons has been released.

The Red Sea in the background

Inaugurated for a second five-year term, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed repeats that Ethiopia, a landlocked country, must obtain access to the Red Sea—a demand that Eritrea interprets as a threat of invasion. Addis Ababa accuses Eritrea, Egypt, and Sudan of supporting the armed alliance; all three deny it. On the day of the inauguration, these three countries and Somalia issued a joint statement calling for a political and peaceful solution.

The two neighbors know each other all too well: Eritrea's independence in 1993, the border war from 1998 to 2000, reconciliation in 2018, then an alliance against the TPLF during the 2020-2022 war, before a new divorce. Four years later, it is the same populations of Tigray who are paying the price for a clash between states.

For analysts cited by AFP, Asmara is primarily seeking to keep the war off its own territory, in case the TPLF were to retreat across the border. A calculation that makes Tigray the battlefield for a rivalry that goes beyond it.