Asmara has forcefully rejected the latest allegations from Addis Ababa, calling the claims that Eritrean troops are operating inside Ethiopian territory 'patently false and fabricated.' On February 9, 2026, Eritrea’s Ministry of Information released a statement asserting that the accusations are part of a 'spiral of hostile campaigns' orchestrated by Ethiopia over the last two years to distract from its own internal instabilities. However, independent military sources and residents in the border towns of Mekelle, Adigrat, and Zalambessa report a visible and increasing presence of Eritrean forces. There are further reports of Eritrean units infiltrating the Humera-Hamdayet corridor near the Sudanese border. Analysts suggest the deteriorating relationship, which shifted from wartime alliance during the Tigray conflict to the current state of 'imminent conflict,' is increasingly driven by Ethiopia's push for sovereign access to the Red Sea, a move Eritrea views as a direct threat to its territorial integrity. The African Union and international observers have called for an immediate de-escalation as troop concentrations along the border reach levels not seen since the 1998-2000 war.