Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Tigray Herald)
Eritrea Breaks Ranks: Shabia Turns on TPLF Over Tigray Sovereignty Push
Asmara, June 14, 2025 In a development that could reshape the political dynamics of the Horn of Africa, Eritrea has publicly denounced its former wartime ally, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), accusing the group of attempting to annex Eritrean territory in a bid to establish an independent Tigrayan state.
The sharp rebuke came via the Eritrean Newsletter dated June 11, where the government in Asmara often referred to by its liberation-era name, Shabia vowed to prevent any attempt to create a sovereign Tigray that includes land claimed by Eritrea. The article asserts that the TPLF ignited the 2020 conflict in Ethiopia with the ultimate aim of forming a “Greater Tigray,” one that would not only destabilize Ethiopia but also extend into Eritrean territory to gain strategic access to the Red Sea.
A Rift Years in the Making
This public condemnation marks a significant shift in Eritrea’s positioning. Though Eritrea and the TPLF once fought shoulder to shoulder against Ethiopia’s military Derg regime in the 1980s, their relationship quickly soured following Eritrea’s independence in 1993. Tensions boiled over into the 1998–2000 border war, a bloody and unresolved conflict that left tens of thousands dead and led to the eventual militarization of both countries.
Despite the war, the TPLF-led Ethiopian government continued to dominate regional politics until it was sidelined in 2018 with the rise of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. When war broke out in November 2020 between the federal government and Tigray Defence Force forces, Eritrea joined the conflict, backing Addis Ababa. But the recent newsletter suggests that Asmara’s support was never rooted in loyalty to the TPLF and may have always been conditional.
Asmara’s Red Line
“The TPLF’s plan was not just rebellion it was territorial ambition,” the newsletter states, accusing the group of harboring designs on Eritrea’s southern borderlands. “Eritrea will never tolerate attempts to seize its land or undermine the sovereignty of neighboring Ethiopia under the guise of self-determination.”
According to Eritrean officials, the creation of a Greater Tigray would not only redraw regional borders but risk plunging the Horn into prolonged instability. The newsletter argues that Eritrea’s priority is regional peace and the defense of sovereign borders hard-won during its decades-long struggle for independence.
Criticism of Ethiopia’s Sea Access Ambitions
The article also takes aim at segments of Ethiopia’s political class, accusing them of perpetuating unrealistic goals of reclaiming sea access through Eritrean ports like Assab. It points out that such ambitions were a contributing factor in past conflicts and remain a source of strategic tension.
“From Haile Selassie to the Derg to the TPLF-led EPRDF, Ethiopia has paid dearly for its obsession with the sea,” the article reads. “Reigniting this fantasy in the present day only serves to repeat historical mistakes.”
Eritrea’s message is clear: it views itself not as an antagonist, but as a stabilizing force intent on preserving the status quo of regional borders. The message comes at a time when Ethiopia is once again navigating internal ethnic tensions, unresolved grievances from the recent civil war, and growing international scrutiny over its handling of peace and reconciliation efforts.
The End of an Alliance
The rift between Asmara and the TPLF signals the end of any residual alliance, pragmatic or otherwise. Analysts say this could further isolate the TPLF, which has struggled to regain its former political clout since the 2022 Pretoria Agreement brought an official end to hostilities but left many issues unresolved.
“Eritrea is effectively telling the world that it will not be complicit in any project that undermines Ethiopian unity or its own sovereignty,” said Horn of Africa expert Dr. Tesfaye Woldemariam. “It also sends a warning to domestic actors in Ethiopia: don’t drag Eritrea into internal conflicts with territorial implications.”
Regional Implications
The statement may also be intended to send a message to external powers and mediators involved in Horn of Africa diplomacy. As maritime access, trade corridors, and Red Sea security gain renewed global interest, Eritrea is asserting its position as a non-negotiable stakeholder in any regional calculus.
As Ethiopia continues to wrestle with post-war reconstruction, unresolved ethnic disputes, and demands for regional autonomy, Eritrea’s move complicates an already delicate balance. What was once a tacit wartime understanding with the TPLF has now morphed into open hostility leaving the group increasingly cornered both politically and geographically.
Whether this signals a broader Eritrean pivot or simply a final break with a former comrade remains to be seen. What is clear is that in the eyes of Shabia, the TPLF has crossed a line and there’s no turning back.
