Ethiopia, Eritrea ramp up rhetoric: Are they inching towards war?

What happened: Ethiopia and Eritrea exchanged accusations of aggression at the UN Security Council, raising fears of a new conflict in the Horn of Africa as fighting intensifies in Ethiopia's Tigray region. Key numbers: Eritrea's troops advanced as far as 60km (37 miles) into Tigray, Ethiopia told the UN. Why it matters: Analysts say each side now treats the other's narrative as existential, and the dispute over Red Sea access and Nile rivalry could destabilise the wider Horn of Africa, with repercussions for Sudan, Somalia and Red Sea security.

Ethiopia and Eritrea exchanged accusations of aggression at the UN Security Council, raising fears of a new conflict in the Horn of Africa as fighting intensifies in Ethiopia's Tigray region.

Analysts say each side now treats the other's narrative as existential, and the dispute over Red Sea access and Nile rivalry could destabilise the wider Horn of Africa, with repercussions for Sudan, Somalia and Red Sea security.