Eritrea Accuses Ethiopia of Threatening Its Sovereignty Through Red Sea Territorial Ambitions

Algiers Agreement Cited as Legal Foundation

The statement placed considerable emphasis on the legal arrangements that followed the 1998–2000 border conflict.

The Algiers Agreement, signed on December 12, 2000, established a framework for resolving disputes between the two countries.

Under that agreement, the Eritrea–Ethiopia Boundary Commission issued its final and binding boundary delimitation decision on April 13, 2002.

The ministry argued that this process demonstrated the importance of resolving territorial disputes through agreed legal procedures rather than unilateral interpretations of history.

The commission's decision remains an important reference point in disputes concerning the international boundary.

Eritrea Highlights Its Regional Diplomatic Record

Asmara also defended its wider regional diplomatic role.

The ministry referred to Eritrean participation in earlier conflict-resolution initiatives involving Sudan, Somalia and neighbouring states.

Among the examples cited were Eritrea's involvement in regional discussions on Sudan in 1994, the Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement reached in 2006 and the Somali reconciliation conference convened in Asmara in 2007.

The document described these initiatives as examples of a foreign policy based on negotiation, regional cooperation and the independence of individual states.

These claims formed part of Eritrea's own assessment of its diplomatic record rather than an independent evaluation of every intervention.

October 1 Diplomatic Rupture Deepened the Crisis

Relations between the two countries deteriorated sharply on October 1, when Ethiopia announced the closure of its embassy in Asmara.

Addis Ababa simultaneously declared ten Eritrean diplomats persona non grata and ordered them to leave within 48 hours.

The Ethiopian government alleged that Eritrea had engaged in activities threatening Ethiopian national security.

Eritrea rejected the accusations and responded by severing diplomatic relations.

In its October 20 statement, Asmara argued that the rupture had been preceded by months of deteriorating diplomatic communication.

The ministry alleged that Ethiopia had reduced official engagement from May onward and that its remaining four diplomats departed Asmara on August 8 without formal notification.

It further claimed that the expulsions included representatives accredited to the African Union and the UN Economic Commission for Africa, describing the decision as a violation of diplomatic arrangements.

Those legal allegations have not been independently adjudicated.

Four-Nation Summit Reaffirms Red Sea Principles

Three days after the diplomatic rupture, the leaders of Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan met in New Alamein, Egypt.

The October 4 summit brought together Presidents Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Isaias Afwerki and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, alongside Sudanese Sovereignty Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

Their joint declaration reaffirmed respect for sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

It also stated that Red Sea governance falls within the responsibility of littoral states and called for freedom of navigation to be protected.

The participants supported Somalia's territorial integrity and opposed recognition of Somaliland.

Eritrea described the declaration as reinforcement of a regional framework based on sovereign equality and international law.

Ethiopia Defends Its Maritime Policy

Ethiopia, meanwhile, maintains that securing maritime access is essential to its economic future and regional integration.

Its government has repeatedly stated that disputes should be settled through peaceful negotiations.

Addis Ababa has also accused Eritrea of involvement with armed opposition groups and military activities in northern Ethiopia, allegations that Asmara denies.

The competing claims illustrate the depth of the security dispute and the limited diplomatic trust between the neighbours.

International calls for restraint have intensified amid renewed military confrontation in Tigray and fears that fighting could extend across the border.

International Law at the Centre of Eritrea's Appeal

The Eritrean Foreign Ministry concluded by urging respect for established borders and the peaceful settlement of disputes.

Its position is that economic development and maritime cooperation cannot justify threats to another country's independence or territorial integrity.

International maritime law recognises rights of access and transit for landlocked states, with implementation arrangements governed by agreements with transit countries and respect for their sovereignty.

As relations remain severed, the dispute over Red Sea access continues to intersect with military insecurity, regional alliances and wider concerns about stability across the Horn of Africa.