Eritrea says it is severing diplomatic ties with neighbouring Ethiopia following Addis Ababa’s expulsion of Eritrean diplomats, as fighting between Ethiopia’s federal forces and a coalition of armed opposition groups intensifies.
The move followed shortly after Ethiopia announced it would close its embassy in Asmara, citing what it described as 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 chargé d’affaires and officials accredited to the African Union, persona non grata over alleged involvement in activities that posed a direct threat to Ethiopia’s national security.
The diplomats were ordered to leave the country within 48 hours.
Eritrea rejected the allegations, describing claims of its involvement in hostile activities as “astounding”.
Its Foreign Ministry said Ethiopia had instead pursued “an agenda of incessant hostility”, accusing Addis Ababa of waging war against Eritrea in an effort to gain access to the Red Sea.
Eritrea also accused Ethiopia of hosting, training and arming Eritrean opposition groups in an effort to fuel internal conflict.
Ethiopia, meanwhile, has accused Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of supporting an opposition alliance led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, or TPLF, which has been fighting forces loyal to the federal government since last week.
The diplomatic dispute comes amid growing tensions in the region and renewed fighting in Ethiopia.
