ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (Axadle) Ethiopia and Eritrea’s already strained relationship plunged into a deeper crisis after Addis Ababa closed its embassy in Asmara and ordered 10 Eritrean diplomats out of the country, a move that led Eritrea to declare it would sever diplomatic relations with its neighbor.
Ethiopia’s Foreign
Ministry said Thursday the decision to close the embassy followed what it
called Eritrea’s “direct and indirect acts of hostility and belligerence”
against Ethiopia. The ministry also alleged that the diplomats being expelled
had carried out activities that endangered Ethiopia’s national security and
breached the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
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The Ethiopian government
said those given 48 hours to leave included Eritrea’s chargé d’affaires and
officials accredited to the African Union.
Asmara denied the
allegations and blamed Ethiopia for the deterioration in relations. In a
statement released Thursday, Eritrea accused Ethiopia of pursuing access to the
Red Sea and backing armed opposition groups active against the Eritrean
government.
Eritrea said its answer
would be to cut all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia, escalating a dispute that has
again placed the two neighbors at the center of regional concern.
The rupture comes amid
wider unease across the Horn of Africa involving Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt,
where questions of security, territorial interests and Red Sea access have
heightened tensions.
The African Union
Commission said Thursday it was following the worsening situation closely and
called on all three countries to show maximum restraint. It urged the
governments to refrain from statements or measures that could inflame the
crisis further.
The AU also appealed to
Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to preserve lines of communication and resolve
their disputes through diplomatic engagement and peaceful dialogue.
The commission said it
stood ready, in consultation with the countries concerned, to assist efforts to
de-escalate tensions, encourage dialogue and pursue a peaceful settlement of the
disputes.
