Ethiopian and Eritrean forces clashed near the locality of Badme on November 9, according to unconfirmed reports from conflict trackers cited by Critical Threats.
Forces Clash Near Badme Border
The reported engagement follows military buildups by both nations on opposing sides of the border around Badme since the start of November. Additional unconfirmed reports indicate earlier clashes occurred along the border north of Adigrat between October 30 and November 1, as well as near the locality of Egela on November 2 and 3.
One unconfirmed report also indicated that Ethiopia launched a drone strike inside Eritrean territory.
The situation has moved away from past accords. The TPLF retreated to the Tigrayan countryside to mount irregular warfare against the government, according to research from the Horn Review.
For Ethiopia, strong demands have been pressed for access to the Red Sea. The country lost this access when Eritrea seceded de facto in 1991 and formally in 1993.
Kindu Gazzuu, who is a Vice Admiral, said that the historical process by which Eritrea gained its independence from Ethiopia was “mid xaq ah oo sharci-darro ah” (unjust and illegal).
The official also said that if Ethiopia fails to achieve its goals through legal and diplomatic means, it would turn to alternative options, including the forced return of the port of Assab.
African Union Seeks Fresh Accords
Bankole Adeoye, the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, said during a press conference that the continental body is working to re-energize the implementation of these agreements to prevent a full-blown crisis in the Horn of Africa.
The Algiers Agreement was signed to end a war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Under that accord, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission was established to settle the border question, though it reached a ruling that has been described as problematic.
Following Algiers, a cold peace lasted for 18 years until it was brought to an end in 2018 on the initiative of Addis Ababa.
Commissioner Adeoye said that the African Union is strengthening its continent-wide approach to peacebuilding, with greater emphasis placed on preventing conflicts rather than managing them after they erupt.
“Silencing the guns is not a slogan for us. It is a philosophical decision made by our leaders to follow the path of peace and resolve conflicts before they become violent,” Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, said.
African leaders who met in Luanda, Angola, in August 2026 adopted new mechanisms to improve the organization’s capacity to identify emerging threats, assess conflict situations, and address their underlying causes.
The commissioner said the AU is engaged in other conflict-affected parts of the continent, including Sudan, the Sahel, and Somalia.
In Somalia, the mission has evolved from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and the current African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
The African Standby Force is an instrument for both conflict prevention and crisis response.
“We condemn any external interference in African conflicts because what we see is that the more you have external interference in the crisis, the more you have prolonged crisis,” said Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security.
Eritrea maintains strict conditions for entering any dialogue with Addis Ababa. According to a government statement issued by Eritrea on March 9, 2026, the country said that it will not negotiate or hold discussions regarding its sovereignty and borders under any circumstances.
The country requires Ethiopia to step back from matters related to maritime boundaries and territorial expansion before any talks can begin.
Eritrea said it has readiness for reconciliation. It insists that the matter of the port town of Assab will not be brought to the negotiating table.
Ethiopia views its maritime access needs concerning the Assab area as a vital national interest, and it is not yet known whether Addis Ababa will accept conditions for dialogue.