Ethiopia and Eritrea sever ties amid Tigray fighting

Ethiopia and Eritrea have severed diplomatic ties as tensions between the neighbouring countries escalate amid renewed fighting in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region.

Ethiopia announced on Thursday that it was closing its embassy in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, accusing Eritrea of “direct and indirect acts of hostility and belligerence against Ethiopia.” The Ethiopian government also declared 10 Eritrean diplomats persona non grata, accusing them of “involvement in activities that pose a direct threat to Ethiopia’s national security.” The diplomats were given 48 hours to leave the country.

Eritrea responded hours later by cutting diplomatic relations with Ethiopia. Its Foreign Ministry described Ethiopia’s actions as “absurd” and said the expulsion of its diplomats had effectively forced the closure of its embassy in Addis Ababa. “Eritrea has no option but to reciprocate in kind and sever all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia with all the negative corollaries that this entails,” the ministry said.

The diplomatic breakdown marks a sharp reversal from the rapprochement between the two countries in 2018, when Ethiopia reopened its embassy in Eritrea as relations improved under Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The reconciliation contributed to Abiy receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019, but relations between Addis Ababa and Asmara have since deteriorated.

The latest diplomatic measures came after explosions were reported overnight in Addis Ababa, including near the headquarters of the Ethiopian National Defense Force. Security and diplomatic sources reported multiple blasts in the capital, although the circumstances surrounding them were initially unclear.

It was not immediately established whether the explosions resulted from an attack or military training exercises. Ethiopian authorities had recently banned drone flights over Addis Ababa and surrounding areas. The developments come amid a major escalation in fighting between Ethiopian federal forces and an opposition alliance led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.

Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of supporting the armed opposition alliance, an allegation the Eritrean government has denied. The alliance also includes other armed groups opposed to the Ethiopian federal government and has been involved in clashes across several fronts since heavy fighting resumed in northern Ethiopia.

Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed or wounded since the latest round of hostilities began. Eritrea and Ethiopia previously fought alongside each other against the TPLF during Ethiopia’s 2020-2022 civil war. However, Eritrea was not a party to the November 2022 peace agreement that ended the conflict, and relations between the two governments subsequently deteriorated.

The United Nations has called for de-escalation and dialogue between the Ethiopian government and the opposition groups involved in the renewed fighting. The African Union has also urged Ethiopia and Eritrea to exercise restraint and resolve their differences through diplomatic channels as concerns grow that the conflict could further destabilise the Horn of Africa.