By Spy Uganda
Ethiopia and Eritrea have severed diplomatic relations amid renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia, raising fresh fears that the escalating conflict could trigger a wider regional crisis.
The diplomatic rupture came on Thursday after Ethiopia announced the closure of its embassy in Eritrea’s capital, Asmara, and ordered 10 Eritrean diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours.
Addis Ababa accused the Eritrean diplomats of engaging in activities it said threatened Ethiopia’s national security.
Eritrea responded by severing diplomatic relations with Ethiopia, saying it had been left with no option but to take reciprocal measures.
“Eritrea has no option but to reciprocate in kind and sever all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia,” the Eritrean Foreign Ministry said, warning of “negative corollaries” arising from Ethiopia’s decision.
The diplomatic confrontation unfolded as fighting intensified across parts of Ethiopia’s northern regions, including Tigray, Afar and Amhara.
A pro-government militia commander told the BBC that its forces had captured Milazat, a town about 20 kilometres south-east of Mekelle, the capital of Tigray and a stronghold of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
The latest developments follow a sharp deterioration in relations between Addis Ababa and Asmara, with the Ethiopian government accusing Eritrea of supporting a newly formed rebel alliance seeking to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.
Eritrea has repeatedly denied involvement in the renewed fighting.
The diplomatic crisis was preceded by powerful explosions heard overnight in Addis Ababa, including reports of blasts near Ethiopia’s military headquarters. The circumstances surrounding the explosions were not immediately clear.
Ethiopia Also Expels Egyptian Diplomat
The diplomatic fallout has also extended to Ethiopia’s relations with Egypt.
Ethiopian state media reported that Addis Ababa had ordered an Egyptian diplomat to leave the country within 48 hours, although the government did not publicly provide a reason for the expulsion.
Egypt subsequently ordered an Ethiopian embassy official to leave within the same period, according to state-affiliated Al Qahera News.
Relations between Cairo and Addis Ababa have been strained for years, particularly over Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile.
Egypt, which depends heavily on the Nile for its water supply, has expressed concerns over the potential impact of the dam on downstream water flows.
Rift Reverses 2018 Peace
The breakdown between Ethiopia and Eritrea marks a dramatic reversal of the rapprochement achieved in 2018.
That year, Prime Minister Abiy restored diplomatic relations with Asmara after two decades of hostility, reopening the border and allowing families separated by years of conflict to reunite.
The reconciliation earned Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019.
However, relations have deteriorated significantly since the end of the Tigray war, particularly over Ethiopia’s push to secure direct access to the Red Sea.
Ethiopia lost its coastline following Eritrea’s independence in 1993, and Abiy has repeatedly argued that access to the sea is important to Ethiopia’s long-term economic and security interests.
Eritrea, meanwhile, has accused Ethiopia of harbouring ambitions over Eritrean ports.
Renewed Fighting Raises Humanitarian Concerns
The latest fighting is the most serious escalation since a peace agreement ended the devastating Tigray war in 2022.
The African Union previously estimated that about 600,000 people died during the two-year conflict.
Last month, the TPLF joined six other armed movements, including the Fano militia from Amhara, to form an alliance whose stated objective is to remove Abiy’s government from power.
Federal forces and their allies have reportedly made advances in southern Tigray and are moving towards Mekelle.
In Alamata, a doctor told the BBC that at least 52 civilians had been killed during three days of intense fighting.
The TPLF has also been engaged in fighting in neighbouring Afar, a strategically important region along Ethiopia’s major transport corridor to Djibouti and the Red Sea. Tens of thousands of people are estimated to have fled their homes.
Both the Ethiopian government and the TPLF blame the other for initiating the latest hostilities.
Tigrayan authorities say their forces were responding to a federal offensive and drone strikes, while Addis Ababa maintains that Tigrayan fighters launched attacks after taking control of federally administered airports in Tigray.
Eritrea Denies Involvement
A pro-government militia commander told the BBC that Eritrean soldiers had been involved on the front lines in the fighting.
Eritrea’s Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel, however, denied the allegation in a rare response to the BBC before diplomatic relations were severed.
Speaking to BBC Tigrinya, Gebremeskel accused Ethiopia’s ruling Prosperity Party of blaming neighbouring countries as a way of diverting attention from internal conflicts and other challenges.
The BBC has said it is unable to report directly from Tigray, where internet and telephone communications have been cut, making independent verification of developments difficult.
AU, UN Call For Restraint
The African Union has urged Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to exercise restraint and resolve their differences through diplomatic channels, warning that further escalation could destabilise the wider region.
The United Nations has also expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation and its impact on humanitarian operations in northern Ethiopia.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said drone activity and air strikes were placing civilians, critical infrastructure and humanitarian operations at risk, while insecurity and road closures were restricting the movement of aid workers.
The UN has called on all parties to guarantee safe and unhindered humanitarian access to people affected by the conflict.
The latest diplomatic rupture between Ethiopia and Eritrea, coupled with the renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia and tensions involving Egypt, has heightened concerns over the possibility of a broader regional crisis in the Horn of Africa.
