ADDIS ABABA — The Red Sea Afar Movement for Change (RSAMC) has issued a strongly worded statement expressing deep concern over the escalating security situation in northern Ethiopia and the reported involvement of the Eritrean government in the ongoing conflict.
In its recent briefing, the movement raised alarms regarding regional stability, focusing specifically on reports concerning Eritrea’s role in supporting armed groups and military deployments that risk transforming the Afar region into a new arena for proxy confrontation. The organization cautioned that such developments threaten civilian populations, potentially aggravating displacement and disrupting livelihoods across vulnerable border areas.
Drawing attention to historical tensions, the statement highlighted recent rhetoric attributed to Eritrean leadership regarding potential regional conflicts, warning that border communities should not be utilized as strategic pawns. The RSAMC emphasized the importance of respecting state sovereignty and called for an immediate cessation of external interference in Ethiopia’s internal affairs, asserting that military strategies should not supersede regional peace.
Alongside its concerns regarding security, the movement drew international attention to the plight of Eritrean Afar communities within Eritrea, citing decades of political marginalization, displacement, and socioeconomic hardship along the Red Sea coast. The organization reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with democratic opposition forces seeking fundamental political and governance reforms in Asmara.
Furthermore, the RSAMC expressed acute anxiety regarding the safety and protection of Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers residing within Ethiopia’s Afar region, whose vulnerabilities could multiply amidst expanding hostilities. It urged the Ethiopian government and international humanitarian bodies to guarantee safe access and protection for displaced populations.
Concluding its statement, the RSAMC called upon the international community and regional actors to monitor developments closely and take proactive diplomatic steps to prevent further escalation, warning that renewed military friction in the borderlands threatens broader stability across the Horn of Africa and the vital Red Sea corridor.
