In a striking display of diplomatic contradiction, Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of violating its sovereignty, even as Addis Ababa faces international backlash for its own breach of Somali territorial integrity earlier this year.
In a letter dated 20 June 2025, Ethiopia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gedion Timothewos Hessebon, wrote to U.S. Secretary of State Marco A. Rubio detailing a litany of Eritrean provocations, including occupation of Ethiopian territory, sponsoring armed groups, and interfering in internal affairs. The letter paints Eritrea as a destabilizing force, bent on undermining peace in the Horn of Africa.
Yet Ethiopia’s own actions in January 2024 continue to cast a long shadow over its claims. In that month, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with authorities in northern Somalia, specifically the Somaliland administration, granting Ethiopia access to the port of Berbera. The deal, condemned by Somalia and denounced by the African Union, was viewed as a blatant violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and unity.
The contradiction has not gone unnoticed. Ethiopia, once a champion of Pan-African sovereignty and non-interference, has undermined its moral authority by bypassing the Federal Government of Somalia and engaging with a secessionist region. Now, as it accuses Eritrea of the same violations it committed just a year earlier, many analysts question the sincerity of Addis Ababa’s diplomatic posture.
Somalia has consistently argued that the Ethiopia-Somaliland MoU not only infringes on its sovereignty, but also sets a dangerous precedent for fragmentation across the continent. Despite calls from the Arab League, the OIC, the AU, and neighboring states to rescind the agreement, Ethiopia has doubled down, claiming it has legitimate “strategic interests” in securing access to the sea.
Eritrea, for its part, has responded to Ethiopia’s accusations with silence, even as regional observers report Eritrean troop movements and rising tensions along the border. Ethiopia’s letter warns of Eritrea’s cooperation with factions of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, TPLF, and other armed groups, allegedly preparing for renewed conflict during the rainy season.
Diplomats say the double standard damages Ethiopia’s credibility and undermines its appeal for international solidarity. “You cannot violate another country’s sovereignty and then cry foul when yours is threatened,” said one East African analyst.
As geopolitical alignments shift and Ethiopia moves deeper into the BRICS camp, its traditional allies in the West appear increasingly disengaged. The U.S., once a major backer of Ethiopia’s fight against terrorism and hunger, has refrained from taking a clear position on the Somali MoU, but its silence has been interpreted by many as disapproval.
With both Ethiopia and Eritrea pursuing assertive, sometimes reckless strategies, the fragile peace in the Horn of Africa hangs by a thread. And as each country accuses the other of violations, the region once again risks descending into a dangerous spiral, not just of conflict, but of competing claims to legitimacy.
