Eritrea Denies Ethiopian Militia Claims Of Rebels In Country
Addis Ababa: A pro-government Ethiopian militia commander claimed Tuesday that Tigrayan rebel leaders were in neighboring Eritrea, a charge denied by Eritrean Information Minister.
Agence France Presse (AFP) was not able to immediately verify the claims.
"TPLF leaders crossed the border into Eritrea," Gebregziabher Beyene, a commander with the pro-government Tigray Peace Force (TPF), said Tuesday.
Gebregziabher made the remarks while addressing residents of Mekelle, the capital of Tigray, which fell to federal forces earlier this month.
He also claimed TPLF leaders took a "large amount of military equipment and medicines" to the Eritrean capital Asmara.
The commander's claims were immediately disputed by Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel, who dismissed them as "lies".
The Tigray People's Liberation Front TPLF vice president Amanuel Assefa also denied the comments, telling AFP: "The leadership is working within Tigray."
The TPLF, which has run the region for years, launched an offensive against the government last month, but was ultimately forced to retreat and lost control of the state.
Ethiopia and Eritrea severed diplomatic relations in October, with each side accusing the other of attempting to destabilise it.
Ethiopia claims Eritrea is supporting the TPLF, while Eritrea accuses its landlocked neighbour of coveting the Eritrean port of Assab.
The international community has voiced increasing concern about the risk of a new war.
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