Ethiopia Accuses Eritrea of Arming Rebels
Last update: January 15, 2026
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Asmara rejects claims as tensions rise between former allies.
Ethiopian federal police say they have seized thousands of rounds of ammunition allegedly sent by Eritrea to rebels fighting in Ethiopia’s Amhara region, a charge Eritrea has dismissed as a fabrication aimed at justifying war.
In a statement late on Wednesday, police said they confiscated 56,000 rounds of ammunition and arrested two suspects in Amhara, where Fano rebels have been battling government forces since 2023. Investigators claimed the weapons were supplied by Eritrea’s ruling party.
CBI News reports that Eritrea’s Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel denied the accusation, saying Ethiopia’s Prosperity Party was seeking a pretext for conflict.
President Isaias Afwerki also accused Ethiopia of declaring war, while insisting Eritrea did not want fighting but was ready to defend itself.
The allegations deepen a growing rift between the neighbours, who fought a bloody border war from 1998 to 2000 before signing a landmark peace deal in 2018.
Relations later deteriorated after Eritrea was excluded from the agreement that ended Ethiopia’s Tigray war and amid Ethiopian claims to sea access, which Eritrea views as a potential threat.
