WASHINGTON, October 14, 2026 — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has brought the 2018 Ethiopia–Eritrea peace agreements back into the diplomatic spotlight, urging Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to pursue dialogue as relations between Addis Ababa and Asmara grow increasingly tense.
During a telephone conversation on Wednesday, Rubio stressed that the agreements reached eight years ago remain the foundation for resolving disputes between the two countries.
According to the U.S. State Department, the Secretary emphasized that lasting solutions to internal and external tensions can only be achieved through dialogue and engagement, as agreed under the 2018 peace framework. He also called on countries across the Horn of Africa to respect their neighbors’ sovereignty and territorial integrity and refrain from cross-border incursions.
The reference to the agreements is notable because Abiy himself signed them with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki during a historic reconciliation that ended two decades of hostility between the neighboring countries.
The first agreement, signed in Asmara on July 9, 2018, formally ended the state of war and committed both governments to implementing the decision of the Eritrea–Ethiopia Boundary Commission. A second agreement, signed in Jeddah two months later, reaffirmed those commitments and explicitly recognized the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of both nations.
Eight years later, the relationship that once raised hopes for lasting peace has deteriorated into renewed hostility.
The latest tensions have been fueled by fighting in northern Ethiopia, competing accusations of military activity across the border and Addis Ababa’s continued pursuit of sovereign access to the Red Sea.
Prime Minister Abiy has repeatedly described access to the sea as a strategic necessity for Ethiopia. Eritrea, however, has maintained that its sovereignty and territorial boundaries, including its coastline and the port of Assab, are not open to negotiation.
That makes Washington’s reference to the 2018 agreements especially relevant. Those documents established mutual recognition of sovereignty and a commitment to respect the internationally determined border, principles that now lie at the heart of the dispute.
Rubio did not publicly accuse either government of violating the agreements or announce a new diplomatic initiative. His message instead pointed to commitments the two countries have already made as a basis for preventing further escalation.
Abiy, who was awarded the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize partly for his role in the reconciliation with Eritrea, described the conversation as productive and highlighted continued American support for Ethiopia.
While Addis Ababa emphasized its relationship with Washington, the State Department’s account focused on the growing tensions with Eritrea and the need to prevent another conflict.
For Eritrea, the significance of the 2018 framework lies in Ethiopia’s formal recognition of its independence, territorial integrity and internationally determined borders. Those commitments remain relevant regardless of the political changes and disagreements that have followed.
The renewed American emphasis on the agreements raises a question that now confronts both governments: whether the peace commitments celebrated in 2018 can still guide their relationship, or whether the region is moving toward another confrontation despite having already agreed on the principles needed to avoid one.
