Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of "supporting armed groups and violating its sovereignty," declaring that securing access to the port of Assab is a national priority.

Foreign Minister Gideon Timotewos (PhD) made the remarks at a Foreign Policy Forum jointly organised by the Horn Review and Addis Ababa University, where he provided a detailed overview of the historical and current drivers of Ethio-Eritrean tensions and outlined Ethiopia’s approach to resolving the dispute.

Timotewos warned that Ethiopia's military patience with Eritrean harassment is "not unlimited and unconditional." He said, “Eritrean troops are currently in control of several local governments in northern Ethiopia,” stressing that these areas remain fully under Ethiopian sovereignty.

The minister added that Eritrea is interfering in Ethiopia's internal affairs by providing "significant material support to groups that have taken up arms against the government."

Addressing questions on the port of Assab, Timotewos emphasised that “Assab remains Ethiopia’s primary focus not only because of history and law, but also because the Ethiopian government has invested heavily in it both before and after Eritrea became independent.”