المركز الأفريقي للاستشارات African Center for Consultancy

Policy brief

Border Tensions and Red Sea Trajectories: Reading the Ethiopian–Eritrean Landscape

Border Tensions and Red Sea Trajectories: Reading the Ethiopian–Eritrean Landscape

23/02/2026

Relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea are witnessing an unprecedented military escalation since the signing of the 2018 peace agreement, with reports of mutual troop deployments and intensified Ethiopian political rhetoric framing access to a seaport as an “existential necessity.” This escalation unfolds amid growing internal fragility within Ethiopia (Oromia, Amhara, and Tigray), complex regional balances in the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa, and the potential involvement of regional actors backing both Addis Ababa and Asmara. This assessment estimates that the likelihood of direct military confrontation within the next six months is moderate to high. However, the trajectory will largely depend on the scale of international and regional pressure, as well as the ability of mediators at both regional and international levels to impose a negotiating track capable of preventing a slide into a broader regional conflict.

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