Ethiopian government forces and allied militias regained control of the strategic northern city of Adigrat on Saturday, following the withdrawal of Eritrean troops after an incursion near the border between the two Horn of Africa neighbors. Three residents in Adigrat reported seeing Ethiopian soldiers and military vehicles patrolling the city, signaling a shift in control after days of fighting.

The alleged Eritrean military advance into Ethiopian territory has heightened fears of a broader resumption of hostilities along the often volatile border. Ethiopia accused Eritrea of backing rebel forces fighting its government troops in the northern regions of Tigray, Amhara, and Afar since late September. Eritrea has denied these claims, including the reported incursion. Explosions near Adigrat were reported on Wednesday and Thursday, with conflict monitoring groups noting Ethiopian drone strikes targeting Eritrean positions, which reportedly withdrew from locations near the city.

In a letter to the United Nations Security Council on Saturday, Eritrea rejected accusations of an invasion as false and described Ethiopian claims as a "declaration of war." Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh called for UN intervention under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which allows for sanctions or military measures, asserting that Ethiopia’s allegations were part of a strategy to justify an aggressive war. Eritrea’s Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel accused Ethiopia of declaring war through its 2023 statement of intent to regain sovereign access to the sea, a move Ethiopia deems existential. Historically, Ethiopia had a coastline until Eritrea’s independence from Ethiopia in 1993, though Ethiopian officials have emphasized a preference for achieving sea access through peaceful dialogue.

Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s government has accused Eritrea of backing the rebel alliance challenging its authority in northern Ethiopia, charges the Eritrean government denies. Ethiopia told the UN Security Council earlier in the week that Eritrean forces had penetrated up to 60 kilometers inside Tigray. Responses from Ethiopian military and city officials in Adigrat were not immediately available.

The conflict has broader regional implications, as tensions remain high in the Horn of Africa and along the Red Sea. Relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea, once normalized through a 2018 peace agreement that earned Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed the Nobel Peace Prize, have deteriorated in recent years despite Eritrea’s previous military support for Ethiopian federal forces during the 2020-2022 Tigray conflict. The recent clashes underscore the fragility of peace in the region and the risk of renewed large-scale conflict.