Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of escalating tensions by deploying troops across the shared border and occupying parts of northern Ethiopia, according to a letter submitted to the United Nations Security Council on Friday. The Ethiopian government said it is undertaking measures in self-defense amid reports of ongoing clashes in the Tigray region, which has experienced significant devastation in previous conflicts.

In the letter, Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos cited Ethiopia’s right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter but did not detail the specific actions being taken. He alleged that Eritrea has sent infantry and mechanized forces into Ethiopian territory over recent weeks and is providing support—including financing, arming, and directing—to insurgent groups operating within Ethiopia. The letter did not specify the exact locations of Eritrean military presence or supply evidence to substantiate the claims.

Ethiopia has repeatedly called on Eritrea to withdraw its forces from its soil, Timothewos said in the letter. The Associated Press was unable to independently confirm assertions of Eritrean troop movements or territorial occupation.

In response, Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel criticized Ethiopia’s actions, accusing it of pursuing hostile intentions related to demands for sovereign access to the Red Sea. Speaking on the social media platform X, Yemane did not explicitly confirm or deny Eritrean troop deployments in Ethiopia but framed the allegations within the context of regional disputes.

The situation has raised concerns about the potential for a broader conflict as government-aligned forces report gains in Tigray, a northern Ethiopian region that has been the focal point of intense fighting since 2020. The renewed hostilities threaten to further destabilize a fragile regional security landscape. International observers continue to call for restraint and dialogue to prevent escalation.