Ethiopia's foreign minister has accused Eritrean forces of launching an 'all-out invasion,' telling the United Nations that Addis Ababa was left with no choice but to defend itself.
The accusation, contained in a letter shared with Reuters on Friday, is the Ethiopian government's first official statement on reported incursions by Eritrean troops across the border.
Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos's letter raises the stakes in a rapidly deteriorating relationship between the Horn of Africa neighbours, whose fragile peace has been fraying since the end of the Tigray war.
A direct military confrontation between Ethiopia and Eritrea would threaten to destabilize one of Africa's most volatile regions, where millions have already been displaced by past conflicts.
