File photo for representational purposes only.
Addis Ababa: Eritrea is rebuilding its army and still destabilising its neighbours, particularly Ethiopia, following a 2018 decision to lift an arms embargo, according to a report by an American rights monitor.
The small country of around 3.5 million people in the Horn of Africa is sometimes nicknamed the "North Korea of Africa" after three decades of iron-fisted rule by President Isaias Afwerki.
Long-running foes, Eritrea and Ethiopia signed a much-lauded peace deal in 2018 -- followed by the lifting of UN arms sanctions -- with Asmara's forces then pitched into the deadly 2020-2022 war in neighbouring Tigray province.
"Today, with sanctions lifted, Eritrea is rebuilding its military, bolstering its defenses, and continuing to destabilize its neighbors," said the report by NGO The Sentry, published late Monday.
"It should be expected to continue to do so if the status quo remains unchanged," it warned.
Asked about the accusations, Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Ghebremeskel criticised the "fabricated narrative" of the report which sought to make Eritrea a "scapegoat".
"The new tension in the region is the result of Ethiopia's unlawful and publicly announced policy of acquiring port and coastal land," he told AFP, a reference to Addis Ababa's long-held desire for a seaport.
