๐ช๐ท๐ช๐น Eritrea has asked the UN Security Council to "forcefully condemn" what it called Ethiopia's "deplorable declaration of war" and to take action against it under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which allows sanctions and the use of force.
In a letter responding to Ethiopia's claim of self-defense, Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh said Ethiopia's justification is "hollow" and "an insult to the intelligence of the international community." He accused Ethiopia of pursuing an "unprovoked agenda of war" for three years to "forcefully acquire 'sovereign access to the sea'" and of launching a "long-planned invasion of Eritrea" as part of its offensive in northern Ethiopia.
Saleh cited Ethiopia's deputy army chief, Gen. Abebaw Tadesse, as saying on September 27 that the war's "ultimate objective" was to invade the Eritrean port of Assab, and that Tigray's capital, Mekelle, was "a mere stop-over."