ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopia has ordered neighboring Eritrea to “immediately withdraw its troops” from Ethiopian territory, accusing Asmara’s forces of an “incursion” and working with “rebel groups” along its northwestern border.
Relations between the two Horn of Africa countries have long been fraught. In recent months, Addis Ababa has accused Eritrea of supporting insurgents on Ethiopian soil — allegations Asmara denies.
“Developments over the last few days indicate that the Government of Eritrea has chosen the path of further escalation,” foreign minister Gedion Timothewos told his Eritrean counterpart in a letter dated Saturday.
He demanded that Asmara “withdraw its troops from Ethiopian territory and cease all forms of collaboration with rebel groups.”
These actions were “not just provocations but acts of outright aggression,” he said.
But he said that he believed the “cycle of violence and mistrust” could still be broken through diplomacy.
The Eritrean government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Eritrea, one of the world’s most closed countries, gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993. They fought a devastating border war from 1998 to 2000 which claimed tens of thousands of lives.
The two governments cooperated against rebels from Ethiopia’s Tigray region during the 2020-2022 conflict, but fell out over the peace accord, from which Eritrea was excluded.
![]()
Ethiopia demands Eritrea ‘immediately withdraw’ troops from its territory
Short Url
https://arab.news/rwgkc
Ethiopia demands Eritrea ‘immediately withdraw’ troops from its territory
- Relations between the two Horn of Africa countries have long been fraught
- In recent months, Addis Ababa has accused Eritrea of supporting insurgents on Ethiopian soil
Man arrested in Thailand for smuggling rhino horn inside meat
BANGKOK: Thai authorities arrested a man for allegedly smuggling more than 11 kilograms of rhino horns inside wrapped meat, in a case officials linked on Tuesday to an international wildlife trafficking network.
The 36-year-old Vietnamese man was detained on Monday after landing at Bangkok’s main international airport on suspicion of illegal wildlife imports, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation said in a statement.
He was traveling from Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo to Laos, transiting through Ethiopia and Thailand, according to the department.
Airport authorities and police seized six pieces of rhinoceros horn and around 12 kilograms of unidentified meat used to conceal them inside a polystyrene icebox.
“There were some irregularities in the X-ray scan of the checked luggage so the authorities checked it,” the department said.
Sadudee Panpakdee, director of the department’s CITES division, told AFP officials were unsure of the value of the seized horns or what type of meat was used to conceal them.
The items were sent to a wildlife forensic laboratory for examination, officials said.
If convicted, the suspect faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine up to one million baht ($32,000).
All five rhino species are protected under international law and trade in their horns is banned.
Thailand is a major transit hub for wildlife smugglers who often sell highly prized endangered creatures on the lucrative black market in Asia.
The 36-year-old Vietnamese man was detained on Monday after landing at Bangkok’s main international airport on suspicion of illegal wildlife imports, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation said in a statement.
He was traveling from Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo to Laos, transiting through Ethiopia and Thailand, according to the department.
Airport authorities and police seized six pieces of rhinoceros horn and around 12 kilograms of unidentified meat used to conceal them inside a polystyrene icebox.
“There were some irregularities in the X-ray scan of the checked luggage so the authorities checked it,” the department said.
Sadudee Panpakdee, director of the department’s CITES division, told AFP officials were unsure of the value of the seized horns or what type of meat was used to conceal them.
The items were sent to a wildlife forensic laboratory for examination, officials said.
If convicted, the suspect faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine up to one million baht ($32,000).
All five rhino species are protected under international law and trade in their horns is banned.
Thailand is a major transit hub for wildlife smugglers who often sell highly prized endangered creatures on the lucrative black market in Asia.
Latest updates
Recommended
© 2026 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.