Will Ethiopia and Eritrea Start a Regional War?

In this episode of Hold Your Fire! , Richard speaks with Crisis Group Africa director Murithi Mutiga about rising Ethiopia–Eritrea tensions and the growing risk of another war in the Horn of Africa. They discuss how political divisions in Tigray and Ethiopia’s push for Red Sea access are sharpening fault lines between Addis Ababa and Asmara. They examine how Gulf and Middle Eastern rivalries could shape any Ethiopia–Eritrea confrontation and increase the risk of wider regional conflagration, including the danger of spillover from Sudan’s war. They also explore how global political shifts are playing out in Africa, reactions to U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” and the prospects for coalitions of mid-sized Western and non-Western powers to act collectively. For more, check out our briefing, “ Ethiopia, Eritrea and Tigray: A Powder Keg in the Horn of Africa ”, and our Ethiopia-Eritrea page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You can listen to Will Ethiopia and Eritrea Start a Regional War? online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Will Ethiopia and Eritrea Start a Regional War? is an episode from Hold Your Fire! by International Crisis Group.

This episode is 44:19 long.

This episode was published on Feb 28, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Hold Your Fire! when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.