Eritrea Orders General Mobilization Amid Tension with Ethiopia

Eritrean government has ordered general mobilization amid ongoing heightened tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia.

According to Eritrean sources, a letter has been sent to regional governments asking them to compile and verify data of veterans and retired soldiers. Demobilized or retired soldiers of the Eritrean Defense Force (EDF) are being recalled. They have been told to report at their respective military units. EDF wants to verify their existence and they might be told to undergo refresher military training. Meanwhile people under 50 will have to get clearance from government before travel abroad.

All these measures are being taken while tensions between Eritrea and neighboring Ethiopia are rapidly rising. On Monday Mulatu Teshome, former Ethiopian President, accused Eritrea of stoking a war in northern Ethiopia. On Tuesday, Eritrean Ministry of Information dismissed Mulatu’s claim and accused Ethiopian government of scapegoating Eritrea for internal Ethiopian conflicts.

The two countries fought a 2 year long war in 1998. After years of no diplomatic relations, in 2018, they restored bilateral diplomatic ties. They partnered recently to fight Tigray fighters. Deadly war in Tigray, the northern part of Ethiopia, ended in November 2022. Since then their relations have been deteriorating.

It seems that militaries on both sides of the border are keeping themselves in a position of high alertness. No credible reports have been seen received so far about any extra ordinary military movement on Eritrea Ethiopia border.

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