Eritrea leader calls Tigray rights abuse claims a 'fantasy'

Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki said that allegations of rights abuses by Eritrean troops in Ethiopia's Tigray region during the two-year war there amounted to "fantasy".

The war ended with a peace deal signed in November last year that called for the withdrawal of foreign forces, but there was no specific mention of Eritrea, whose regime considers the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) its archenemy.

"This is a fantasy in the minds of those who are... in this factory I call a factory of fabricating misinformation," Isaias told reporters during a visit to Kenya, deflecting questions about the presence of Eritrean troops in Ethiopia.

Eritrea's army supported Ethiopian forces during the federal government's war against the TPLF and has been accused by the United States and rights groups of some of the conflict's worst atrocities.

Asmara was not a party to the agreement and its troops continue to be present in parts of Tigray, according to residents who accuse the soldiers of murder, rape and looting.

Asked about the continued presence of Eritrean troops in Tigray, Isaias said: "I have no intention of interfering in this matter in spite of the disinformation campaign going on trying to disrupt the process of peace in Ethiopia and trying to create conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia."

One of the world's most authoritarian states, Eritrea was sanctioned by the United States in 2021 following its decision to send troops into Tigray in support of Ethiopia and has been accused of massacring hundreds of civilians.