ADDIS ABABA, October 14, 2026 (DAILYNWZ) — Ethiopian government forces have advanced into a town near the Eritrean border previously held by Tigrayan rebels, according to people familiar with the situation, raising fears of a wider conflict as diplomats seek to prevent a new war between the Horn of Africa neighbours.
The army had reached Zalambessa by Tuesday, according to six sources, including four people in contact with residents, a diplomat and a conflict expert in touch with the warring sides. The town, home to about 15,000 people, lies on the Ethiopian side of the border.
Witnesses and a conflict monitor said Eritrean troops crossed into Zalambessa last week in support of Tigrayan rebels. It remained unclear on Tuesday whether Eritrean forces or the rebels were still in the town.
A spokesperson for a pro-government militia did not confirm that the army had taken control of Zalambessa. Spokespeople for Ethiopia’s military and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Eritrea has denied sending troops into Ethiopia and urged the United Nations to take deterrent measures against Addis Ababa. Asmara says Ethiopia’s accusations of an Eritrean incursion amount to a “declaration of war”.
Fighting erupted in Ethiopia last month when a rebel alliance led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) launched an offensive, reigniting a conflict that killed hundreds of thousands of people between 2020 and 2022. A counter-offensive by federal forces has driven the rebels from several towns, forcing them to retreat north.
The renewed fighting has put Ethiopia and Eritrea on opposing sides once again, amid other conflicts across the region and heightened tensions around the Red Sea. Diplomats fear the violence could spread beyond Ethiopia’s northern frontier.
“Competing Appeals to the United Nations”
The latest escalation follows a sharp deterioration in relations between the two countries, which made peace in 2018 after years of conflict. Eritrean forces later fought alongside Ethiopia’s federal government during the 2020-2022 war in Tigray, but the relationship has since soured.
Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of backing the rebels and told members of the UN Security Council that Eritrean troops had advanced as far as 60 kilometres (37 miles) inside Ethiopian territory.
Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh, meanwhile, has asked the Security Council to take action against Ethiopia. In a letter seen by Reuters, he invoked Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which authorises measures ranging from sanctions to military action.
Security Council members were due to hold a closed-door meeting on the situation in the Horn of Africa on Tuesday, according to the council’s Greek presidency.
“Dispute Over Sea Access Adds to Tensions”
Access to the sea remains another source of friction. Ethiopia had a coastline for decades before Eritrea gained independence in 1993, leaving Ethiopia landlocked.
Ethiopia considers restoring sea access an existential issue but says it wants to achieve that goal through peaceful means and dialogue. The dispute adds another layer to already strained relations as the latest fighting raises the risk of a broader confrontation.