News Eritrea Denounces US Senate Committee Hearing, Blames “Misconceptions”
May 17, 2025
The Eritrean government has accused the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee of repeating “misconceptions and unsubstantiated allegations” about its military activity and border disputes during a hearing on the Horn of Africa.
In a press release issued on May 16, Asmara refuted claims of military mobilization against Ethiopia and rejected assertions that Eritrean troops remain in Ethiopian territory, calling the allegations “deplorable” and false.
Eritrea’s continued presence in Tigray was repeatedly condemned during the hearing.
Michelle Gavin of the Council on Foreign Relations described the Pretoria Agreement as being in a “strange limbo” due to Eritrea’s interference, and cited its continued military presence as a factor dragging behind the implementation of the peace deal.
“Eritrean forces remain present in both Tigray and western Tigray. This violates what all parties have already agreed upon, stemming from the incomplete implementation of the Pretoria Agreement. We’re stuck in this strange limbo where the agreement exists but hasn’t been fully executed,” said Gavin.
Joshua Meservey of the Hudson Institute also stated that Eritrea’s army has continued its presence in Tigray, which he noted is contrary to the peace deal.
The Eritrean government waved aside the claims as “skewed media reports” rather than verified facts. It also said Eritrea is not mobilizing for war and has not engaged in military action against Ethiopia.
The press release attributed regional tensions to Ethiopian statements and media campaigns discussing the acquisition of a “port and coastal territory through diplomatic and legal means if possible, and by force if necessary.”
It described this as an “unacceptable proposition in international relations”.
Asmara maintains its troops are only present on territory recognized as Eritrean under the 2002 EEBC Arbitral Ruling. The administration of Isaias Afwerki claims the areas were previously occupied by Ethiopia in violation of international law, and asserts that all Eritrean forces have returned to sovereign Eritrean territory following the end of the war in northern Ethiopia.
“Eritrean troops have otherwise fully redeployed, after the end of the war in Northern Ethiopia, and remain inside our sovereign territory,” reads the statement.
Numerous reports and eyewitness accounts indicate that Eritrean forces established control over parts of the Tigray region following the outbreak of the two-year war in 2020. The Eritrean army operated primarily in the northern areas of the Maekelay Zone, according to these accounts. However, although exact figures remain uncertain, some estimates suggest that Eritrean forces controlled as much as 40 percent of Tigray at certain points.