Ethiopian Police Seize Ammunition Allegedly Sent by Eritrea to Rebels

Ethiopian police say they have seized thousands of rounds of ammunition sent by Eritrea to a violent armed rebel group, stoking fears of renewed armed conflict.

On Wednesday, Ethiopian police announced they had intercepted more than 56,000 rounds of ammunition in the Amhara region that were allegedly intended for the Fano rebels. Two suspects were arrested during the operation, leading police to claim that the ammunition was dispatched by the Eritrean government, also referred to as the Shabiya government.

Eritrea's Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel has denied these allegations, accusing Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's Prosperity Party of fabricating claims to validate a long-desired military action. The deteriorating relationship between the two countries, historically fraught with disputes and violence, has recently shifted from tentative peace efforts to heated exchanges over territorial and maritime issues.

The border between Ethiopia and Eritrea has seen a tumultuous history, including an independence war and a border conflict that ended in 2000 with tens of thousands dead. Following a peace declaration in 2018, relations appeared to normalize, but tensions have escalated again since Eritrea was excluded from a crucial peace deal at the end of Ethiopia's civil war in November 2022.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has publicly emphasized that Ethiopia’s access to the Red Sea is a matter of existential importance, a sentiment dismissed by Eritrea, which has reiterated its lack of interest in engaging in war. Recent statements by both sides raise concerns that without diplomatic intervention, the relationship could return to the levels of hostility seen in previous decades.