Ethiopia and Eritrea have broken off diplomatic relations, deepening fears that renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia could trigger a broader regional crisis.
Ethiopia said on Thursday that it would close its embassy in Eritrea’s capital, Asmara, and ordered 10 Eritrean diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours. Addis Ababa accused the diplomats of activities posing a threat to national security.
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Eritrea responded by severing diplomatic relations, saying Ethiopia’s move had left it with no choice but to take reciprocal measures.
The diplomatic rupture followed powerful overnight explosions in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, including blasts reported near the country’s military headquarters.
It also came amid a steep decline in relations between the neighbouring states. Addis Ababa has accused Asmara of backing an alliance of armed groups fighting the Ethiopian government, a charge Eritrea has repeatedly rejected.
Ethiopia said the 10 Eritrean diplomats “pose a direct threat to Ethiopia’s national security” and confirmed that its embassy in Asmara would be shut.
Later on Thursday, Eritrea announced that it was cutting diplomatic ties with Ethiopia, calling Addis Ababa’s decision “astounding”.
“Eritrea has no option but to reciprocate in kind and sever all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia,” the Eritrean foreign ministry said, warning that the move would have “negative corollaries”.
The diplomatic breakdown comes as Ethiopian federal forces fight the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and allied groups in parts of Tigray, Afar and Amhara.
The renewed violence is the most serious outbreak since a peace agreement brought Ethiopia’s devastating Tigray war to an end in 2022. An African Union mediator previously estimated that about 600,000 people were killed during the two-year conflict.
Last month, the TPLF joined six other armed movements, among them the Fano militia from Amhara, in an alliance that says its aim is to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government from power.
Ethiopia has alleged that Eritrea is assisting the alliance.
A pro-government militia commander involved in fighting in Tigray also told the BBC that Eritrean troops had taken part on the front lines. The BBC has not independently verified the claim.
In a rare BBC interview conducted before the diplomatic rupture, however, Eritrea’s Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel dismissed the allegations.
Speaking to BBC Tigrinya, he said Ethiopia’s governing Prosperity Party was blaming neighbouring countries in an effort to deflect attention from domestic conflicts and other difficulties.
Eritrea and Ethiopia fought on the same side during the 2020-2022 Tigray war, when Eritrean troops supported Ethiopian federal forces against the TPLF.
Since then, their relationship has worsened sharply, especially as Ethiopia has pressed for direct access to the Red Sea. Asmara has accused Addis Ababa of adopting an increasingly hostile approach to the issue.
Ethiopia became landlocked in 1993, when Eritrea gained independence and the country lost its coastline.
Abiy has repeatedly said access to the sea is vital to Ethiopia’s long-term economic and security interests. Eritrea, in turn, has accused his government of harbouring ambitions involving its ports.
The latest diplomatic crisis unfolded just hours after loud explosions were heard in Addis Ababa on Wednesday night, near the headquarters of Ethiopia’s intelligence service.
A source associated with the opposition alliance told Reuters that its forces had carried out drone strikes in the capital. Ethiopian authorities have not said what caused the explosions, and no official reports have indicated casualties or major damage.
Residents in two separate parts of Addis Ababa told the BBC they heard powerful blasts overnight. One resident living near the intelligence headquarters said the explosion was strong enough to set off car alarms.
The blasts came only hours after Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Service announced an indefinite ban on drone flights over Addis Ababa and surrounding areas. The agency cited the protection of senior officials, key infrastructure and public events.
Fighting, meanwhile, continues across northern Ethiopia.
Federal forces and allied fighters appear to have advanced in southern Tigray and are moving towards the regional capital, Mekelle. In Alamata, a doctor told the BBC earlier this week that at least 52 civilians had died during three days of intense fighting.
The TPLF has also been engaged in fighting in neighbouring Afar, a region along Ethiopia’s key transport route to Djibouti and the sea. Tens of thousands of people are believed to have fled their homes there.
The Ethiopian government and the TPLF have each accused the other of initiating the latest violence. Tigrayan authorities say their forces were responding to a federal offensive and drone attacks, while Addis Ababa says Tigrayan fighters began attacking after seizing control of federally administered airports in Tigray.
Independent confirmation of events remains difficult. Journalists have limited access to the affected areas, while communications across much of Tigray have been disrupted.
The African Union has called on Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to show restraint and settle their disputes through diplomacy. It warned that further escalation could destabilise the region.
The UN has likewise warned that the worsening security situation is seriously obstructing humanitarian operations in northern Ethiopia. UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said drone activity and air strikes were endangering civilians, essential infrastructure and aid efforts, while insecurity and road closures were limiting humanitarian access.
The UN has urged all parties to ensure safe, unrestricted access to people requiring assistance.
