Eritrea Demands UN Security Council Condemn Ethiopia's Declaration of War

Algiers, Oct 10 (KUNA) – Eritrea on Saturday called on the UN Security Council to condemn what it described as “Ethiopia’s declaration of war against it” and to take coercive measures under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, warning of the repercussions of the escalation on both countries and the region.

In a letter addressed to the Security Council, Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh stated that “correspondence from the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry, sent to the Council on Friday, included formal notification of measures taken to wage war for years.” Saleh accused Addis Ababa of “seeking to reach the sea by force, in violation of Eritrea’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” noting that “Ethiopia had ignored previous international warnings regarding the need to respect Eritrean sovereignty.”

He warned that “a potential war would inflict widespread devastation on the peoples of both countries and threaten regional stability,” citing remarks by Ethiopian Chief of Staff General Abiyao Tadese at the end of September that “the ultimate goal of the war is to advance into Eritrea.”

In its letter yesterday, the Ethiopian government said it had no choice but to defend itself against what it described as a comprehensive invasion by Eritrea, amid reports of explosions near the border between the two countries. However, the Eritrean Foreign Ministry rejected the accusations, responding that “the Ethiopian government is seeking to control the port of Assab and threatening the use of force against Eritrea.”

The escalation comes amid renewed tensions between the two countries stemming from disputes over access to the Red Sea and developments in the fighting in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region. Eritrea rejected Ethiopian allegations of unjustified acts of aggression that could threaten regional peace and security, describing them as “an affront and a double standard.” (End) M.R. / R.J.