Eritrea has severed diplomatic relations with neighbouring Ethiopia in a retaliatory move after Addis Ababa announced the closure of its embassy in Asmara and expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats.
Eritrea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the decision on Thursday, October 1, 2026, saying the country had no option but to respond to Ethiopia’s actions by cutting all diplomatic ties.
The development comes amid escalating fighting between Ethiopian federal forces and a coalition of armed opposition groups in the country’s northern regions.
Ethiopia had earlier announced plans to close its embassy in Asmara, accusing Eritrea of engaging in hostile activities against its national security.
Addis Ababa also declared 10 Eritrean diplomats, including the chargé d’affaires and officials accredited to the African Union, persona non grata and ordered them to leave the country within 48 hours.
Eritrea rejected the allegations, describing them as astonishing and accusing Ethiopia of pursuing a hostile agenda. Asmara also alleged that Ethiopia was hosting, training and arming Eritrean opposition groups to destabilise the country.
The diplomatic dispute has further widened regional tensions, with Ethiopia also accusing Sudan and Egypt of supporting an opposition alliance led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
On Thursday, Ethiopia declared an Egyptian diplomat persona non grata and ordered him to leave within 48 hours. Egypt subsequently retaliated by expelling an Ethiopian embassy counsellor, according to reports from the two countries’ state-affiliated media.
Meanwhile, clashes between Ethiopian government forces and armed opposition groups have continued, with explosions reported in the capital, Addis Ababa, and fighting spreading to the northern Afar region.
The latest escalation has raised concerns about the potential consequences for regional stability. US Representatives Ilhan Omar, Jim McGovern and John Garamendi called on all parties to recommit immediately to peace negotiations, warning that the violence threatens Ethiopia and the wider region.
The tensions mark a significant deterioration in relations between the two neighbours, which fought on the same side during Ethiopia’s 2020–2022 Tigray war.
Relations soured after the conflict ended, partly because Eritrea was not a party to the Pretoria Peace Agreement signed in November 2022.
Historical disputes and Ethiopia’s renewed push for direct access to the Red Sea have also contributed to tensions. Eritrean officials view Ethiopia’s repeated calls for sea access as a potential threat to their country’s territorial sovereignty.
Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a prolonged armed struggle that followed Ethiopia’s annexation of the territory in 1962.</WritingBlock>
Tags
World News