Eritrea severs diplomatic ties with Ethiopia in tit-for-tat move

Eritrea says it is breaking diplomatic ties with its neighbour Ethiopia in response to the expulsion of diplomats from Addis Ababa, as fighting between Ethiopia’s federal forces and a coalition of armed opposition groups intensifies .

“Eritrea has no option but to reciprocate in kind and sever all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia with all the negative corollaries that this entails,” its Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on X on Thursday.

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This came shortly after Ethiopia announced it would close its embassy in Asmara “in response to Eritrea’s direct and indirect acts of hostility and belligerence against Ethiopia”.

Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also declared 10 Eritrean diplomats in Addis Ababa, including the charge d’affaires and others accredited to the African Union, “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 its statement, Eritrea’s ministry said claims of its involvement in hostile activities were “astounding”.

“In reality, it is Ethiopia which has been pursuing an agenda of incessant hostility,” it said, adding that Addis Ababa had waged war against Eritrea to gain access to the Red Sea.

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