US urges Ethiopia and Eritrea to step back as fears of a new war between the neighbours grow
Reports published on Wednesday evening said the United States had called on Ethiopia and Eritrea to pursue de-escalation and dialogue amid fears of war (Punch, Clarín). Infobae quoted Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying the Horn of Africa cannot tolerate more conflicts, and Somalia Today carried a report that Washington warned against border incursions in a call with Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed. Clarín added that the US stressed respect for territorial integrity and noted troop movements near the shared border after a revival of hostilities. The New York Times wrote that the two countries, which fought on the same side in the Tigray war, are now edging towards fighting each other, and FAZ reported that Addis Ababa is threatening retaliation over Eritrea's role in the new conflict in northern Ethiopia.
Ethiopia and Eritrea fought alongside each other in a war that killed hundreds of thousands (New York Times). A fresh conflict between them could pull in the wider Horn of Africa.
Ethiopia is Kenya's northern neighbour. A wider war could send refugees towards border towns such as Moyale and disrupt trade and regional diplomacy. Kenyans with relatives or business in northern Ethiopia should follow their embassy's advice.
Washington frames its message as a call for dialogue and respect for territorial integrity (Clarín, Punch).
A conflict expert quoted by Der Standard, Kjetil Tronvoll, argues that Eritrea has miscalculated; that is one analyst's view, not an established account of events.
Until two outlets agree on what happened at the border, treat accounts from either capital as claims. The signal to watch is whether troops pull back and talks are announced.
DailyDrop Kenya edition No. 11 · Morning · THU., OCT. 15, 2026