Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of plotting war in alliance with a hardline faction of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), warning in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that the collusion has intensified in recent months.

The Ethiopian government alleges that Eritrea and the TPLF are funding and directing armed groups in the Amhara region, including Fano militias, which are increasingly targeting the federal government.

Tensions center on Ethiopia’s bid to regain access to the Red Sea, which Eritrea has controlled since its 1993 independence, and follows decades of conflict, including the 1998–2000 border war and recent Tigray clashes.

Eritrea’s Information Minister dismissed Ethiopia’s claims as “bizarre” and “too crass,” while Ethiopia maintains that the alliance threatens national stability and regional security, the BBC has reported.

The accusations highlight a worsening crisis as Ethiopia faces internal insurgencies and a growing contest over strategic Red Sea access.