Relationship dossier

Eritrea Ethiopia

Relationship assessment

A history of war and border disputes, interrupted by peace and security cooperation

Eritrea toward Ethiopia

-20

Eritrea fought Ethiopia in the 1998–2000 border war and maintained a hostile relationship for years. In 2018, Eritrea’s government signed a peace declaration with Ethiopia and reopened cross-border links. Eritrean forces later fought alongside Ethiopian government forces in the Tigray conflict, while subsequent security tensions have again strained ties.

Ethiopia toward Eritrea

-15

Ethiopia fought Eritrea in the 1998–2000 border war and signed the 2000 Algiers Agreement to end it. In 2018, Ethiopia’s government declared peace with Eritrea and restored transport and communications links. Ethiopian government forces later cooperated militarily with Eritrean forces in the Tigray conflict; Ethiopia’s later pursuit of sea access has heightened tensions.

Overall relationship

-15

The relationship has been shaped by a major border war and unresolved security concerns, but also by the 2018 peace declaration, renewed cross-border links, and later military cooperation in Tigray. These periods of cooperation have not removed the underlying disputes, and tensions have resurfaced.

How to read these scores

Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.

−100: Extreme sustained hostility
−50: Substantially adversarial
0: Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
+50: Substantially cooperative
+100: Exceptionally close sustained partnership

“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.

Relationship context

Knowledge coverageStrong

Overview

Eritrea and Ethiopia moved from a 1998–2000 border war and prolonged hostility to a 2018 peace declaration and restored cross-border links. Eritrean forces later fought alongside Ethiopian government forces in the Tigray conflict, but renewed disputes over security and Ethiopia’s pursuit of sea access have strained the relationship. The history combines substantial conflict with periods of concrete political and security cooperation.

Areas of tension

The contested border and implementation of boundary arrangements.
Security concerns linked to Eritrean forces operating in Ethiopia during the Tigray conflict.
Ethiopia’s pursuit of sea access and its implications for Eritrean sovereignty and security.

Key developments

Eritrea and Ethiopia signed the Algiers Agreement, formally ending their border war.
12 December 2000
The two governments signed a Joint Declaration of Peace and Friendship, ending the state of war and initiating normalization.
9 July 2018
Eritrean forces fought alongside Ethiopian government forces during the Tigray conflict.

Major uncertainties

The current scope of bilateral security cooperation is unclear.
The status and implementation of border arrangements remain uncertain.
The extent of Eritrean troop involvement in Ethiopia after the Tigray conflict is unclear.

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