Addis ababa: The Eritrean regime is seeking to internationalize the conflict in the region by using the TPLF and other armed groups, said Getachew Reda, Minister and Advisor to the Ethiopian Prime Minister on East African Affairs.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, Getachew, who was also the former President of the Tigray Interim Regional Administration, stated, "The effort to internationalize the conflict is being done by Eritrea.." The advisor highlighted that the regime in Asmara is also exerting maximum efforts to widen the conflict by involving armed groups and encouraging the deployment of young people beyond Ethiopia's borders. Reports of individuals being captured, killed, or wounded are deeply concerning, he noted.
Getachew further revealed that former adversaries have set aside their differences in pursuit of a common objective, warning that such alliances could ultimately deepen instability across the Horn of Africa. He described the alignment between the defunct Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and Eritrea as a marriage of convenience between "strange bedfellows" who cannot agree on major issues, calling it a prescription for disaster. Despite this, Getachew admitted, "I don't lose sleep over that particular issue," referring to the alliance.
The advisor elaborated that politics is often called "the art of the possible," yet the latest alignment, he argued, shows that political interests can unite even former foes-proving, in this case, that politics can also be the art of the impossible. He noted that the TPLF had been given "marching orders" to provoke clashes with federal forces and link up with armed groups in the Amhara region.
Getachew further stated that the Eritrean government is seeking to keep Ethiopia unstable by coordinating with different groups opposed to the federal government. He alleged that Eritrea enjoys support from Egypt in these efforts, underscoring, "President Isaias has support in this endeavor from the likes of Egypt. We know for a fact."
He mentioned that the federal government has exercised maximum restraint so far, despite provocations here and there, focusing largely on a containment strategy. However, he cautioned that the situation could change if armed groups initiated attacks, potentially turning a localized confrontation into a broader regional conflict.
The advisor stressed the need for the international community to exert pressure on the Eritrean regime and other actors he described as spoilers of peace to prevent another devastating war in the region.
