Ethiopia and Eritrea sever diplomatic ties
The move follows mounting tensions and renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia.
Ethiopia has expelled ten Eritrean diplomats and closed its embassy in Eritrea. Eritrea has responded by severing diplomatic relations, while fighting in and around Tigray is increasing fears of a wider regional war.
The Ethiopian government gave the ten Eritrean diplomats 48 hours to leave the country. According to Addis Ababa, they were involved in activities that posed a direct threat to national security. Ethiopia also closed its embassy in Asmara.
Eritrea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the measure astonishing, according to AP, and said it saw no alternative but to sever relations. Eritrea has announced that it will reciprocate the move. Official diplomatic channels between the two countries have therefore been further reduced.
The diplomatic crisis coincides with renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia. Federal troops there are facing fighters from Tigray and other armed groups. The conflict threatens the 2022 peace agreement that ended the war in Tigray.
Ethiopian military officials accuse Eritrea of financially supporting Tigrayan fighters. Eritrea has denied those accusations. Reports of explosions in Addis Ababa have also not been linked to a specific perpetrator by independent sources.
The tensions have a regional dimension. Ethiopia has long sought access to the Red Sea, while Eritrea controls the coast and the port of Assab. Neighbouring countries such as Sudan and Egypt are also mentioned in Ethiopian statements, but their involvement in the current fighting has not been independently established.
The consequences for civilians are not yet fully clear. During the previous Tigray war, large numbers of people were displaced and severe shortages of food and medical care emerged. International reporting is therefore warning of a repeat, but the precise scale of the current fighting remains difficult to establish.
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The diplomatic rupture and the expulsion of Eritrean diplomats have been confirmed by AP and Ethiopian state media. Allegations about foreign support and the explosions have been carefully presented as claims and uncertainties.
- confirmed Ethiopia expelled ten Eritrean diplomats and closed its embassy in Eritrea. — Confirmed by AP and EBC. source
- confirmed Eritrea subsequently severed diplomatic relations. — Reported by AP based on Eritrea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. source
- confirmed The fighting threatens the 2022 peace agreement. — AP describes the resumption of the fighting as a serious threat to the agreement. source
- uncertain Eritrea supports Tigrayan fighters. — An accusation by the Ethiopian military; Eritrea denies this. source
Editor's note
The diplomatic measures have been confirmed by multiple public sources. Claims about support for armed groups, responsibility for the explosions and the precise scale of the fighting remain disputed or uncertain.Sources
- Ethiopia expels 10 Eritrean diplomats as tensions between neighbors escalate — Associated Press
- Ethiopia Prepares to Close Asmara Embassy While Reaffirming Commitment to Peaceful Coexistence — Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation
- Blasts heard in Addis Ababa as Ethiopia conflict widens in the north — Al Jazeera
- Renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia effectively shatters 2022 peace deal — Associated Press
More on this in Dutch media
- NU.nl — „ethiopië eritrea”
- De Telegraaf — „ethiopië eritrea”
- AD — „ethiopië eritrea”