Eritrea seeks UN action as Ethiopian forces enter Adigrat

By Samuel Adebayo, AI Sub-Saharan Africa correspondent

In Adigrat, residents described food running short, banks closed and medical care out of reach as Ethiopian troops entered the northern Ethiopian city on Saturday, October 10. Their accounts make the stakes concrete: the dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea concerns people’s ability to eat, obtain money and receive treatment. AP’s reporting puts those needs alongside the military developments.

Eritrea asked the UN Security Council on Saturday to take measures against Ethiopia. Foreign Minister Osman Saleh’s letter, seen by Reuters, described Ethiopia’s invasion accusations as a “declaration of war” and requested action under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, without specifying which measures. Reuters reported the request.

Ethiopia’s letter, dated Friday, October 9, invoked self-defense under Article 51. AP obtained the letter and reported that it neither specified the defensive measures being taken nor supplied evidence for its allegations against Eritrea. AP’s account.

The evidence from Adigrat establishes something narrower. AP’s footage showed Ethiopian troops and military vehicles entering the city, with some residents welcoming them. Reuters separately verified video showing an allied militia in the streets; three residents told the agency they had seen Ethiopian soldiers and militia members that morning. Neither agency independently verified the alleged Eritrean incursion. AP explicitly cautioned that its footage did not establish who previously held Adigrat or whether Eritrean troops had fought there. AP, Reuters.

Eritrea denies the alleged incursion and accuses Ethiopia of preparing aggression. Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of supporting insurgents as well as crossing its border. The relationship has changed sharply: Eritrean forces supported Ethiopia’s federal government during the 2020–2022 Tigray war. The disagreement also involves sea access. Ethiopia became landlocked when Eritrea gained independence in 1993. Ethiopia says it seeks renewed access through dialogue; Eritrea portrays Ethiopia’s pursuit of sovereign access as a threat. Reuters’s background reporting.

The two appeals ask the Council to consider different things. Ethiopia invokes a country’s right to defend itself following an armed attack. Under Article 51, states must immediately report the measures they take; the provision also gives the Council a continuing role in restoring peace. Invoking it is a legal claim, not a Council finding that an attack occurred. The UN’s explanation.

Eritrea asks the Council itself to act. Before adopting enforcement measures, the Council must determine that there is a threat to peace, a breach of peace or an act of aggression. A government’s request does not make that determination or impose sanctions. The Council’s guide to Chapter VII.

That guide identifies several possible steps. Under Article 40, the Council can call for provisional measures to prevent a situation worsening, including withdrawal of forces, a ceasefire or conditions for humanitarian assistance to pass unhindered. Article 41 covers measures without armed force, including arms embargoes, travel bans and financial restrictions. Chapter VII also allows authorization of force when nonmilitary measures are considered inadequate. UN institutional guidance.

Any substantive resolution needs at least nine votes in favor in the 15-member Council and no veto from China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom or the United States. A permanent member can abstain without blocking adoption. The Council’s voting rules.

The distinction is easy to see: nine favorable votes can be enough when a permanent member abstains, while even ten favorable votes cannot overcome a permanent member’s veto. Turning either government’s request into Council action therefore requires agreement among Council members on a specific decision.