In the northern Ethiopian town of Adigrat, residents claim they have seen up to 60 trucks bearing Eritrean registration plates move southward into Tigray, carrying armed soldiers, many of whom were later deployed in the mountainous region around Edaga Hamus.
The movement follows the recent withdrawal of Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) forces from Mekelle, which now lies in the hands of the national army. This shift comes after months of tension between Ethiopian President Abiy Ahmed’s government and the TPLF, who accuse each other of breaching a 2022 cease‑fire agreement that ended a two‑year civil war.
Eritrea, which joined Ethiopia in the 2020‑2022 war against the TPLF, has been accused by Addis Ababa of providing direct support to the rebel group. Meanwhile, Eritrean officials deny such involvement, a dispute that has intensified after the two countries severed diplomatic ties a week ago.
Residents in Adigrat described the convoy as “large and heavily loaded,” with trucks carrying anti‑aircraft weapons. One eyewitness noted that about 40 trucks passed through the city at night, while the next day he observed 20 to 30 additional trucks heading toward Edaga Hamus.
Local residents expressed deep emotional distress. “The memories are still fresh. I was emotional myself. People are saddened to see them back again,” said one resident.
In Mekelle, a senior Ethiopian government official, Abraham Belay, accused Eritrea of full‑scale participation in the conflict. “Many Eritrean soldiers have been killed and captured. There is no doubt that the retaliation will be double. They will see what it means to enter the border of another country and fight alongside bandits,” he said.
International observers warn that the return of Eritrean forces could spark a wider regional conflict, especially after the recent diplomatic break and ongoing heavy‑weapon exchanges near Wukro, another key town on the corridor between Adigrat and Mekelle.
The BBC has not been able to confirm any of the reported troop movements independently. However, mobile phone and internet access have largely been restored to most of the region after the national army took control of Mekelle, giving residents a way to share firsthand reports that would otherwise be difficult to verify.
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