Eritrea's ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠information minister did not deny the crossing, calling Ethiopia's self-defense narrative fallacious and a cover for a war of aggression. Ethiopia accuses Eritrea, Egypt and Sudan of backing the rebel alliance; all three deny it.

At ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠least two witnesses told Reuters they saw dozens of Eritrean soldiers in two trucks in Adigrat, about 25 km south of the border. Reuters could not independently verify a third account.

The ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠Red Sea now has four coastal states in a declaration and one landlocked country reading it very closely.

A ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠proxy war is when everyone denies involvement in writing: Ethiopia names three neighbours and all three say no.

A ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠landlocked country's ambition is a coast described as a right and a neighbour described as a toll.

Isaias ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠Afwerki answers allegations the way his country answers elections: through an information minister and a post on X.

Mekelle ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠was taken by the army and 'temporarily left' by the rebels, which is how one city ends up with two press releases.

The ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠TPLF says it left Mekelle 'temporarily', the word every government in exile uses until it stops being one.