Ethiopia Could Still Avert the Next War With Eritrea

Ethiopia Could Still Avert the Next War With Eritrea

Keeping the Pretoria Agreement in a comatose state should not be seen as an end in itself.

A soldier stands at the border crossing with Eritrea in Humera, Ethiopia. September 2, 2025, 6:00 AM Comment icon View Comments ( )

In a dramatic reversal after more than two years of evading the issue, Ethiopia accused Eritrea at the U.N. Human Rights Council in July of occupation and abuses in its northern Tigray region. Eritrean troops had fought alongside Ethiopia’s army during the 2020-22 Tigray war and never fully withdrew . The 2022 Pretoria Agreement between Ethiopia and Tigray’s dominant party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), ended the war but strained Ethiopia and Eritrea’s relationship.

Tensions escalated