US Urges Calm as Ethiopia-Eritrea Tensions Spike Amid Renewed Tigray Conflict

The United States on Saturday called for 'maximum restraint' from Ethiopia and Eritrea as cross-border tensions between the two Horn of Africa nations dangerously escalate, warning that another military conflict could trigger a major humanitarian crisis. This urgent plea from Washington comes just as Ethiopian federal forces entered Mekelle, the capital of the Tigray region, on Saturday, with reports indicating Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) fighters have withdrawn from the city. The diplomatic fallout is already severe, with Eritrea severing diplomatic ties with Ethiopia on Thursday, following Ethiopia decision to close its embassy in Asmara and expel ten Eritrean diplomats. The renewed fighting in Ethiopia northern Tigray region has ignited fears of a wider conflict, drawing in regional neighbors like Sudan and Egypt, who are now set to meet with Eritrea and Somalia in Egypt on Sunday to discuss the crisis. The current escalation shatters the fragile 2022 Pretoria Agreement that ended the previous Tigray War (2020-2022), which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Ethiopia has accused Eritrea and Egypt of backing the TPLF rebels, while Eritrea claims Ethiopia seeks to invade for Red Sea access, further complicating an already volatile geopolitical landscape. As the situation remains highly unstable and telecommunications disruptions make independent verification difficult, international observers are closely watching for de-escalation efforts. The US has emphasized that 'peace through dialogue' is the only path forward, urging both countries to return to the 2018 peace framework. However, with federal forces advancing in Tigray and a regional diplomatic summit underway, the immediate future hinges on whether diplomacy can overcome the entrenched hostilities and prevent a devastating war that would have severe consequences for the entire Horn of Africa.