Eritrea on Saturday asked the United Nations to take “deterrent measures” after what it described as Ethiopia’s “declaration of war” in the conflict over the Tigray region.
In a letter to the UN, Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh said the Ethiopian action would cause "huge devastation to the peoples of both countries and destabilize the whole region".
Its request came a day after Addis Ababa accused Asmara of launching an “all-out invasion”, saying Eritrean troops had advanced up to 60 kilometres into Tigray.
Asmara has denied the incursion which has raised fears of a return to an all-out war along Ethiopia’s northern border.
People in Adigrat said on Saturday that Ethiopian government forces and their militia allies had entered the Tigrayan city near the border with Eritrea,
This came days after reports that Eritrean troops were pushed back or withdrew from positions near the strategic town.
It has previously been controlled by the rebel Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which Addis Ababa accuses Asmara of backing.
Residents say people living in the city are facing a severe crisis and are urging Ethiopian authorities to help them.
"Children and the elderly are suffering from hunger. Sick people are dying due to a lack of medical treatment,” says resident Hagos Woldegebriel.
A man who was displaced from Zalambessa during a previous conflict in the region, Teame Lemlem, says everything is running out.
"Banks are closed, and the public is running out of food supplies. People are also dying without medical care. If peace prevails, it would bring us great hope," he said.
Rebels launched attacks against federal forces last month in the northern Ethiopian region. Eritrean forces have since invaded Ethiopian territory.
The Ethiopian army has pushed back the rebel Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and seized their capital, Mekelle.
Asmara has denied an incursion by its troops saying the claim was part of Addis Ababa’s plan to justify its war of aggression.
The neighbours have accused each other of starting a war over Tigray, where Ethiopia says Eritrea is backing rebels.
Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993 and they fought a deadly border war from 1998 to 2000.
Relations improved after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power in 2018, but have soured again in recent years.
Landlocked Ethiopia has repeatedly insisted that it has a right to direct sea access, which Eritrea interprets as a threat to invade and seize its port at Assab.
TPLF fighters battled Ethiopian government forces, then backed by Eritrea, in a devastating 2020-2022 war