
The Ethiopia-Eritrea Standoff
From The Horn by International Crisis Group
January 15, 2026 · 39 min · Season 7 · Episode 7
About this episode
The episode discusses the escalating tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea and the factors restraining war despite hostile rhetoric.
In this episode of The Horn, Alan is joined by Michael Woldemariam, associate professor at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy, to unpack the escalating tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea. They examine how these dynamics are intertwined with the fragmenting political and security situation in Tigray, Ethiopia’s push for sea access, and Eritrea’s deep-seated existential security concerns. They examine why, despite increasingly hostile rhetoric, war has not yet broken out, and what factors continue to restrain both sides. They also look at whether regional polarisation and global shifts could tip the balance and whether any credible options remain to de-escalate the standoff. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
People in this episode
Host: Alan
Guest: Michael Woldemariam
Topics covered
- Ethiopia-Eritrea relations
- Tigray conflict
- regional security
- political dynamics
- de-escalation strategies
Keywords
- Ethiopia
- Eritrea
- Tigray
- security concerns
- regional dynamics
- de-escalation
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of Maryland
Places: Ethiopia, Eritrea, Tigray
More episodes of The Horn
- Mediating the Horn’s Wars: An Exit Interview · June 12, 2026 · 33 min
- Tiny Djibouti, and Its Prime Real Estate · June 4, 2026 · 27 min
- Sudan, and a Region and World in Upheaval · May 15, 2026 · 36 min
- Somalia’s Election Standoff and New Inflection Point · April 30, 2026 · 36 min
- Bonus Episode: After Three Years of War in Sudan, What Hope for a Ceasefire? · April 9, 2026 · 42 min
- How the Iran War is Reshaping the Region · April 2, 2026 · 37 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Horn podcast page.