Fresh fighting in northern Ethiopia and rising tensions with neighbouring Eritrea have sparked fears of another devastating war in the Horn of Africa. The conflict is escalating, diplomatic relations are deteriorating, and civilians are once again paying the price.
On October 9, 2026, Ethiopia told the United Nations Security Council that it was taking measures in self-defence, accusing Eritrea of sending troops across its border and occupying parts of northern Ethiopia. Eritrea has rejected Ethiopia’s accusations, arguing that Addis Ababa is pursuing access to the Red Sea at the expense of regional stability. The diplomatic fallout has been severe. Ethiopia expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats and closed its embassy in Eritrea. Eritrea retaliated by severing diplomatic ties. Meanwhile, renewed fighting in Ethiopia’s Tigray region has disrupted public services, closed businesses and left residents struggling with hunger, shortages of medical care and other essential supplies.
The escalating crisis has drawn urgent calls for restraint. The United Nations has expressed grave concern over the fight in Tigray, Afar and Amhara, urging all parties to cease hostilities and return to dialogue under the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement. The African Union has called on Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to exercise restraint and resolve their differences through diplomacy.
The European Union and the United States have also warned that further escalation could trigger a regional conflict with devastating humanitarian consequences.
Another war could devastate communities still recovering from Ethiopia’s previous conflict in Tigray, which ended with a peace agreement in 2022. The question now is whether diplomatic efforts can prevent rising tensions from becoming a full-scale regional war. With accusations mounting and fighting continuing, the cost of failing to secure peace could be enormous.
