Ethiopian police say they have seized thousands of rounds of ammunition allegedly sent by Eritrea to a violent armed rebel group, raising fears of a renewed armed conflict, the BBC reports, as relayed by Rks News.
Eritrea has denied the allegation and accused Ethiopia of engaging in “false flag operations to justify a war it has been eager to launch for the past two years.”
The development comes at a volatile moment for relations between the Horn of Africa neighbors, who share a long history marked by division and violence.
Hopes for a temporary peace, which emerged during the 2020–2022 civil war in northern Ethiopia, have recently given way to a war of words over control of the Red Sea. This latest accusation appears to signal a further escalation.
On Wednesday, Ethiopian police said in a statement posted on Facebook that they had seized more than 56,000 rounds of ammunition in the Amhara region, allegedly intended to arm Fano rebels, and that two suspects had been arrested.
“Preliminary investigations conducted on the two suspects caught in the act have confirmed that the ammunition was sent by the Shabiya government,” police said, using a term commonly associated with Eritrea’s ruling party.
Eritrea’s Information Minister, Yemane Gebremeskel, rejected the claim and accused the Prosperity Party (PP) of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of seeking a pretext to launch an attack.
