The Ethiopian government has expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats and announced the closure of its embassy in Asmara amid rapidly escalating tensions between the two neighbouring countries.
The move follows renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia and explosions in the capital, Addis Ababa, amid reports of drone attacks targeting military facilities. Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of supporting an opposition alliance led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which has recently resumed major hostilities against federal government forces.
Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared 10 Eritrean diplomats in Addis Ababa persona non grata, ordering them to leave the country within 48 hours. The ministry accused Eritrea of engaging in “direct and indirect acts of hostility and belligerence” and said the diplomats had been involved in activities that posed a threat to Ethiopia’s national security.
Eritrea has strongly denied supporting the armed opposition and, following Ethiopia’s announcement, responded by severing diplomatic relations with Addis Ababa.
Ethiopian officials have also accused Egypt and Sudan of supporting the TPLF-led opposition alliance. The allegations have been rejected by the countries concerned.
The latest escalation threatens to unravel the fragile peace established after the devastating 2020–2022 Tigray war. Ethiopia’s federal government and the TPLF signed the Pretoria peace agreement in November 2022, formally ending two years of large-scale conflict.
Renewed fighting, however, has again spread across northern Ethiopia, including parts of Tigray, Afar and Amhara. Thousands of civilians have fled affected areas, while disruptions to electricity, communications, transport and essential supplies have raised fears of a worsening humanitarian crisis.
The escalating tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea have also raised concerns that the conflict could expand beyond Ethiopia’s borders and destabilise the wider Horn of Africa.
Pope Leo XIV has appealed for an end to the renewed hostilities, expressing deep concern about the situation in Tigray and neighbouring Afar and Amhara. He urged those involved in the conflict to pursue dialogue and work towards lasting peace.
The African Union has similarly called for restraint, urging Ethiopia, Eritrea and other countries involved in the growing regional tensions to preserve diplomatic channels and resolve their differences through peaceful dialogue.
With diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea now severed and fighting intensifying in northern Ethiopia, concerns are mounting that the region could face another prolonged conflict unless political and diplomatic efforts succeed in bringing the parties back to negotiations.
