Eritrea severs diplomatic ties with Ethiopia as tensions escalate

Eritrea announced on Thursday that it was severing all diplomatic relations with Ethiopia after Addis Ababa decided to close its embassy in Asmara and declared 10 Eritrean diplomats personae non gratae.

In a statement, the Eritrean Foreign Ministry said Ethiopia had ordered the closure of its embassy in Asmara and expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats, including the chargé d’affaires and diplomats accredited to the African Union.

Asmara described the Ethiopian measures as “unjustified hostile acts” and rejected Addis Ababa’s accusations that Eritrea had engaged in “hostile acts and direct and indirect acts of war” against Ethiopia.

The Eritrean Foreign Ministry accused Ethiopia of pursuing what it described as a “persistent hostile agenda” against Eritrea over the past three years, linking it to Addis Ababa’s efforts to secure sovereign access to the sea.

Eritrea alleged that Ethiopia sought to seize Eritrean ports and coastal areas and accused Addis Ababa of hosting, training and arming Eritrean opposition groups in an effort to fuel internal conflict and bring about “regime change.” Eritrea said it had exercised “patience and restraint” to avoid further escalation.

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“Under current circumstances, Eritrea has no choice but to respond in kind and sever all diplomatic relations with Ethiopia,” the Foreign Ministry said, warning of the “negative repercussions” of the decision.

Earlier on Thursday, Ethiopia announced the closure of its embassy in Asmara and declared 10 Eritrean diplomats in Addis Ababa personae non gratae, giving them 48 hours to leave the country.

Addis Ababa said the decision was taken in response to what it described as Eritrea’s “direct and indirect acts of hostility and belligerence” and accused the diplomats of involvement in activities posing a direct threat to Ethiopian national security. Eritrea denies the allegations.

The diplomatic escalation comes amid renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia following fresh clashes involving government forces and an opposition alliance led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). The fighting has disrupted the relative calm that followed the 2022 Pretoria Peace Agreement.

Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of supporting its adversaries in the current conflict, while Asmara has denied the allegations and accused Addis Ababa of seeking to divert attention from its internal problems. The escalation has coincided with reports of explosions in Addis Ababa and fighting in northern Ethiopia.

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