In a Sunday interview with local media, the president claimed that the peace deal signed between Ethiopia and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) was rushed by the US to prevent the rebels from losing in the battlefield.

The peace deal signed in South Africa in November 2022 ended a two-year civil war that killed tens of thousands and left millions in dire need of humanitarian assistance.

In the interview, Mr Isaias also admitted for the first time that hundreds of thousands of people died in the conflict, though he did not elaborate on Eritrean casualties.

Last week, the reclusive leader denied reports that Eritrean troops committed war crimes in neighbouring Ethiopia where they had been deployed to fight alongside federal troops and pro government militia.