Ethiopia, Eritrea Cut Diplomatic Ties as Tigray Tension Escalates

Ethiopia and Eritrea have severed diplomatic ties amid renewed tensions over the Tigray region, further straining relations between the neighbouring Horn of Africa countries.

On Thursday, Ethiopia announced it would close its embassy in Asmara “in response to Eritrea’s direct and indirect acts of hostility and belligerence against Ethiopia”.

Addis Ababa also declared 10 Eritrean diplomats, including the charge d’affaires and others accredited to the African Union (AU), “persona non grata for involvement in activities that pose a direct threat to Ethiopia’s national security”, requiring them to leave the country within 48 hours.

In response, Eritrea said it had no option but to “reciprocate in kind and sever all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia with all the negative corollaries that this entails”.

Ethiopia has accused Eritrea, ⁠Sudan and Egypt of supporting an opposition alliance led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) after heavy fighting broke out between Ethiopian forces and the TPLF last week. It was the biggest escalation in the country since the end of a 2020-2022 civil war.

An Egyptian diplomat was also ordered to leave Addis Ababa within 48 hours. Egypt reciprocated the gesture.

In a statement late Thursday evening, the AU said it was closely following the heightened tensions between Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt with concern.

The AU commission urged all three member states to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from actions or statements that could further escalate tensions and undermine regional peace and stability.