Addis Abeba — Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has warned that Ethiopia will not tolerate what he described as any further attempt by the Eritrean government to destabilize the country, saying a renewed effort to do so "will be the last."
The remarks were made during an interview conducted in Tigrinya with the state-run Ethiopian News Agency, in which the Prime Minister addressed the war in Ethiopia's Tigray region, evolving regional tensions, and relations with the government in Eritrea, which he repeatedly referred to as "Shaebia."
Initial support, later condemnation
PM Abiy said Eritrean forces took advantage of the security vacuum that followed the November 2020 attack on the Northern Command to enter the Tigray region. He acknowledged that Eritrean civilians and authorities initially assisted Ethiopian soldiers who were retreating at the time.
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"Regardless of the motives behind that support, we expressed our gratitude for the positive contribution; this is a matter of public record," he said. "But while we thanked them for that support, we also condemn the malevolent acts they committed. We are not hesitant to call evil acts evil and good acts good."
The Prime Minister said the federal government was unable to prevent the entry of Eritrean forces at the time because it was fully engaged in fighting the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).
On atrocities in Tigray
During the interview, PM Abiy accused Eritrean troops of committing widespread abuses in Tigray, including killings of civilians and large-scale destruction of property. Echoing a similar accusation he made during his parliamentary appearance in early February, said that hundreds of youths were killed over two days in Axum, and that homes and industries were destroyed in Axum as well as in Adwa, Adigrat, and Shire. He also accused Eritrean forces of systematically looting machinery and public institutions.
"We tactically prevented them from entering Mekelle because they committed destruction in every city they occupied," he said, adding that Eritrean forces "continue to appear and disappear in certain areas."
Addressing Eritrean leaders, the Prime Minister used a cautionary expression in Tigrinya, warning against further encroachment into Ethiopian territory.
Criticism of Eritrea's governance
PM Abiy also delivered a sharp critique of Eritrea's political and economic system, arguing that the country's leadership does not believe in development or peaceful transfer of power.
"The Eritrean people are hardworking and creative, but they have not found a government that matches their potential," he said, claiming that hundreds of factories that existed at independence are no longer operational and that Asmara University has been shut down, leaving the country without a functioning higher education institution.
Migration and surveillance allegations
The Prime Minister further linked Eritrea's governance to the mass migration of its citizens to neighboring countries, including Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, and Uganda. He alleged that Eritrean authorities send operatives among refugee communities to monitor and intimidate them.
"We held the position that Eritreans should be able to work in Ethiopia as if it were their own country," he said, adding that it is difficult to distinguish civilians from those he described as agents of the regime. "The government robs them of peace at home and continues to do so in exile. This is an unforgivable human grievance."
Deteriorating relations amid unresolved accountability
PM Abiy's remarks come against the backdrop of deteriorating relations between Addis Abeba and Asmara. Ties were revitalized by the 2018 rapprochement that ended two decades of hostility, but have steadily soured since the November 2022 Pretoria cessation of hostilities agreement that formally ended the war in northern Ethiopia.
Tensions deepened further in October 2023, when the Prime Minister, in a televised address, described access to the Red Sea as an existential issue for Ethiopia and called for public discussion on the matter, marking a sharp downturn in relations between the two governments.
Despite the Prime Minister's latest admission, the crimes committed by Eritrean forces during the war in the Tigray region has been extensively documented by the media, human rights organizations and the UN-mandated International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE), among others.
After repeatedly denying Eritrean involvement, Ethiopian authorities also acknowledged in May 2021 that civilians were massacred in Axum and that Eritrean troops were involved, following federal investigations documenting killings, property destruction, and looting between 19 and 28 November 2020. Subsequent international investigations corroborated atrocities in the historic city.
A June 2025 report by The Sentry revealed that Eritrea's leadership actively planned and prepared for the war months in advance and orchestrated "industrial-scale looting" in Tigray, alongside grave human rights abuses.
However, multiple international investigations have also implicated Ethiopian forces. The United States Department of State 2022 Human Rights Report found that members of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, Eritrean Defense Forces, and allied Amhara forces committed crimes against humanity in Tigray, while all parties to the conflict committed war crimes. Similarly, in October 2023, ICHREE's final report revealed that Ethiopian federal forces, Eritrean forces, and allied regional forces committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, while also accusing Tigrayan forces of serious violations during fighting in Amhara and Afar.
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Eritrea, which fought alongside Ethiopian forces during the war, has rejected accusations of wrongdoing. In February 2025, Asmara said its involvement was at Ethiopia's request, adding that Ethiopia had previously "paid tribute to Eritrea's indispensable role during Ethiopia's dark days."
In his interview aired on 03 March PM Abiy said Ethiopia's past engagement with Eritrea had shown that "nothing good can be expected from this force."
"If they find the capacity, they will not hesitate to destabilize the country," he said. "But because we know them thoroughly, we will not give them another opportunity to oppress our people. If they attempt it again, it will be their final attempt."
