Analysts said that direct clashes between two of Africa’s largest armies would signal the death blow for a historic rapprochement for which Ethiopia’s PM Ahmed won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 and could draw in other regional powers
Ethiopia and Eritrea could be headed toward war, officials in a restive Ethiopian region at the center of the tensions have warned, risking another humanitarian disaster in the Horn of Africa.
Analysts said that direct clashes between two of Africa’s largest armies would signal the death blow for a historic rapprochement for which Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 and could draw in other regional powers.
It would also likely create another crisis in a region where aid cuts have complicated efforts to assist millions affected by internal conflicts in Sudan, Somalia, and Ethiopia.
“At any moment, war between Ethiopia and Eritrea could break out,” Gen. Tsadkan Gebretensae, a vice president in the interim administration in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, wrote in Africa-focused magazine the Africa Report on Monday.
A 2020-2022 civil war in Tigray between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, or TPLF, and Ethiopia’s central government killed hundreds of thousands of people. Fears of a new conflict are linked to the TPLF’s split last year into a faction that now administers Tigray with the blessing of Ethiopia’s federal government and another that opposes it.
On Tuesday, the dissident faction, which Tsadkan accused of seeking an alliance with Eritrea, seized control of the northern town of Adigrat. Getachew Reda, the head of Tigray’s interim administration, asked the government for support against the dissidents, who deny ties to Eritrea.
“There is clear antagonism between Ethiopia and Eritrea,” Getachew told a news conference on Monday. “What concerns me is that the Tigray people may once again become victims of a war they don’t believe in.” Ethiopia’s federal government has not commented on the tensions.
Eritrea’s information minister dismissed Tsadkan’s warnings as “war-mongering psychosis.” However, according to UK-based Human Rights Concern-Eritrea, Eritrea ordered a nationwide military mobilization in mid-February.
Two diplomatic sources and two Tigrayan officials said Ethiopia deployed troops toward the Eritrean border this month. Payton Knopf and Alexander Rondos, the former US and EU envoys to the region, say the prospects of a new war are real.
Meanwhile, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has called on African Union (AU) members to intensify their collective support in elevating the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) as a premier public health institution.
Abiy made the remarks in a statement after meeting with Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya on Friday at the headquarters of the AU’s specialised healthcare agency in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital.
The Prime Minister said the Africa CDC’s advanced laboratory facilities and research capabilities play a crucial role in disease prevention and in coordinating continental responses to epidemics and pandemics.
Noting that the East African country is “proud to host the Africa CDC”, Abiy called on African countries to bolster their collective commitments toward advancing the Africa CDC as a premier public health agency.
“It is incumbent upon us to strengthen this institution in collaboration with partners. I call upon fellow African leaders to join efforts in establishing our continental public health agency as a premier institution, fully committed to advancing health across the continent,” he said.
The Africa CDC, which was established in January 2016 by African leaders and officially launched one year later, has gained acclaim for its contribution to bettering public healthcare in Africa. The Chinese-built Africa CDC headquarters in the southern suburb of Addis Ababa, which is regarded as a flagship project in China-Africa public health cooperation, was officially inaugurated in January 2023, Xinhua news agency reported.
In November 2023, the Africa CDC unveiled a China-aided reference laboratory at its headquarters. The agency said the completion of the laboratory marks a milestone in its pursuit of a strong continental public health institution that will support AU members in improving disease diagnosis, surveillance, and outbreak response.
After meeting with the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Kaseya underscored the agency’s resolve to drive sustainable solutions for a healthier Africa.
“At the Africa CDC, we look forward to continuing to work closely with Ethiopia to tackle major health challenges, fortify systems, and drive sustainable solutions for a healthier Africa. Together, we are building resilience and safeguarding the future,” Kaseya said.
As the African continent battles various disease outbreaks and public health challenges, including the ongoing mpox outbreak, the Africa CDC has emerged as a major public health agency supporting public health initiatives on the continent and strengthening Africa’s capacity to detect, prevent, control, and respond quickly and effectively to disease threats.
