Open this photo in gallery: Ethiopian women buy and sell goods at a street market in Mekelle in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia on Jan. 26. A devastating war has been raging in neighbouring Sudan since 2023, while another neighbouring country, Eritrea, has had troops in northern Ethiopia since 2020 and has been feuding with Ethiopian leaders in recent weeks. Open this photo in gallery: A bullet-riddled vehicle sits abandoned on the grounds of Wukro Lodge, once occupied by Eritrean troops, in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia on Jan. 26. Eritrea has had troops in northern Ethiopia since 2020, and has been feuding with Ethiopian leaders in recent weeks.Jody Ray/The Associated PressTensions between the two countries have escalated. Eritrea’s Information Ministry responded by complaining of hostile acts and “sabre rattling” in an Ethiopian “war agenda.”Any conflict in northern Ethiopia, or across the borders, would probably also draw in Gulf states such as the United Arab Emirates, an ally of Ethiopia.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 24, 2026 07:51 UTC