Andrew Wasike
14 November 2026•Update: 14 November 2026
Fighting between Ethiopian and Eritrean forces has intensified near the disputed border town of Badme, with drone strikes and heavy artillery bombardments forcing civilians to flee amid fears of a wider war, according to diplomatic sources cited by local outlet Addis Standard on Saturday.
Two diplomats familiar with intelligence assessments told the Ethiopian news outlet that clashes had escalated over several days, with Ethiopian forces reportedly deploying drones and Eritrean troops using heavy artillery.
"We are aware of drone strikes, particularly from the Ethiopian side, and the use of heavy artillery from the Eritrean side, and we are monitoring the situation," one diplomatic source said.
Another warned that the exchanges risked triggering a major military confrontation between the neighboring countries.
"The biggest shared concern among the international community is that this will be sliding into a full-blown military conflict, the outcome of which neither party has yet to fully comprehend," the source said.
Badme, some 800 kilometers (497 miles) north of Addis Ababa and 130 kilometers (81 miles) southwest of Asmara, was at the center of the 1998-2000 Ethiopia-Eritrea border war, which killed tens of thousands of people.
Residents reported nighttime explosions, closed businesses, and families fleeing their homes as Ethiopian federal troops increased their presence around the town.
The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) reported on Nov. 13 that Ethiopian federal troops were positioned between Sheraro and Badme, while Eritrean forces were stationed near the town's perimeter. Neither military controlled Badme, it said.
The project also documented Ethiopian artillery fire toward areas near Badme and renewed clashes between federal troops and Tigrayan fighters.
The Critical Threats Project (CTP), another conflict monitor, in a Nov. 10 assessment, reported military buildups and clashes near Badme but said it could not determine which side of the border the fighting occurred on.
The escalation follows Ethiopian military advances toward the border, including the capture of the town of Sheraro on Nov. 3, according to conflict monitors.
Relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea have deteriorated sharply amid accusations of support for armed groups and disagreements over Ethiopia's ambitions for access to the Red Sea.
Following their Nov. 9-10 meeting in Paris, G7 foreign ministers expressed "great concern" over the deteriorating security situation and urged both countries to "exercise maximum restraint, pursue diplomatic solutions."
The renewed confrontation threatens to deepen instability in the Horn of Africa, where fighting in northern Ethiopia has already displaced civilians and disrupted humanitarian assistance.
