Eritrean troops enter Tigray as fears of wider Horn of Africa war grow
Eritrean troops have entered northern Ethiopia's Tigray region, where conflict has restarted, airstrikes and looting are hitting civilians, and outside powers risk a wider Horn of Africa war.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Eritrean troops have crossed into northern Ethiopia's Tigray region, in a move that could reignite the long and bitter conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia. The incursion also risks widening a crisis across the Horn of Africa, where Ethiopia's government is already fighting an alliance of seven internal rebel factions.
People in Tigray had feared this development, with reports of truckloads of invading Eritrean soldiers. Civil conflict between the Ethiopian government and rebel groups restarted last month. Eritrea has now entered the fray and is fighting against the Ethiopian government.
In Mekelle, the Tigrayan capital, Ethiopian federal police are patrolling. The city was taken by rebels and then retaken by forces allied to the government last week. Armed men have raided government offices. Five days on, looting continues, including of humanitarian stores. Families have been staying up all night with sticks to protect their homes. Airstrikes have also been reported. They began in Matala, in south Tigray, and have continued in Adwa, Shararaw and Adigrat, killing civilians.
Civilians suffered badly in the 2020 to 2022 civil war. During that conflict, Eritrea fought alongside the Ethiopian government. Both sides saw the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front as a threat. But loyalties have changed.
Ethiopia's prime minister was sworn in on Monday for a second five-year term. He has returned to an old source of conflict with Eritrea: access to the sea. He said Ethiopia would show it is a decisive force in the region, 'not by charity, but by its might'. Eritrea's incursion is the latest phase in a decades-old dispute. The two countries fought a costly war after Eritrea declared independence in 1993, leaving Ethiopia landlocked. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is desperate to regain Red Sea access by taking the Eritrean port of Assab. Eritrea has teamed up with seven Ethiopian rebel militia against Abiy, further destabilising the region.
Outside powers are increasingly involved. Ethiopia's military is equipped with new tactical armoured vehicles supplied by the United Arab Emirates. Across the Horn of Africa, the UAE is sponsoring armies and rebel movements, while Egypt and Saudi Arabia back their rivals. Eritrea's coastline is highly strategic. It sits across from Yemen and close to Saudi Arabia. Major Gulf and Middle Eastern powers are already deeply involved in the war in Sudan. The concern is that the Tigray conflict merges with those larger theatres and becomes part of a bigger Horn of Africa war.
The situation has raised fears that the region could be engulfed in war. The United States is no longer urging restraint or threatening to cut aid.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Eritrea joined forces with seven Ethiopian rebel militias against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. | |
| Eritrean forces launched an incursion into the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia. | |
| Ethiopia's government was already engaged in a war with an alliance of seven domestic rebel factions. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Channel 4 News framed the incursion as a regional crisis with deep historical roots. It stressed the reversal in Eritrea's alliance, the risk of a wider Horn of Africa war, and the role of Gulf powers. It also gave space to civilian suffering in Tigray and to US disengagement.
- “Troops from Eritrea have launched an incursion into northern Ethiopia's Tigray region, potentially reigniting the bitter decades-old conflict between the two countries.”
- “The people of Tigray had feared this, truckloads of invading Eritrean soldiers.”
- “With the US gone AWOL, no longer urging restraint, threatening to cut aid, what is there to stop the whole region being engulfed in war?”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.