Eritrea Cuts Ties with Ethiopia Following Its Actions

Asmara (Caasimada Online) – The Eritrean government announced on Thursday that it has completely severed diplomatic relations with Ethiopia, hours after Addis Ababa closed its embassy in Asmara and expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats from its country.

The Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs described Ethiopia's actions as “unjustified hostile acts,” stating that Asmara currently has no choice but to respond in kind.

“In the current situation, Eritrea has no option other than to respond in kind and sever all diplomatic relations with Ethiopia, along with all the negative consequences that this entails,” the ministry said in a statement.

The decision ends the diplomatic relations that the two countries restored in 2018, and comes at a time when tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea have significantly escalated, with conflict erupting again in northern Ethiopia.

Ethiopia had earlier on Thursday announced that it was closing its embassy in Asmara and ordered 10 Eritrean diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours.

Addis Ababa accused the diplomats of being involved in actions it claimed posed “a direct threat to the national security of Ethiopia,” while also accusing Eritrea of “direct and indirect acts of hostility and aggression.”

The Ethiopian government did not provide details on the actions it accused the Eritrean diplomats of.

Eritrea reiterates accusations against Ethiopia

Eritrea has strongly denied these accusations, accusing Ethiopia of trying to shift the responsibility for the tensions between the two countries onto Asmara.

“This is really a surprising matter,” the Eritrean ministry said. “The truth is that Ethiopia has been pursuing a consistent hostile agenda for three years.”

Asmara specifically pointed to Ethiopia's efforts to secure access to the Red Sea, an issue that has recently become one of the main points of contention between the two countries.

Eritrea accused the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of pursuing a plan to seek what Ethiopia calls a “sovereign maritime route,” with Asmara stating that these discussions involve ambitions regarding ports and coastal land that Eritrea possesses.

Ethiopia has repeatedly stated that obtaining a reliable route to the Red Sea is crucial for its economic and strategic future.

Eritrea has particularly reacted angrily to discussions regarding the port of Assab and any claims that seem to touch on the sovereignty and territory of Eritrea.

Asmara has also accused Ethiopia of hosting, training, and arming Eritrean opposition groups, which it claims are being used to create chaos and “government change” within Eritrea.

Ethiopia, on its part, has accused Eritrea of supporting armed groups fighting against the federal government of Ethiopia, accusations that Asmara has denied.

The Northern Ethiopia War

The breakdown of relations between the two countries comes at a time when heavy fighting has erupted again in northern Ethiopia, with the government of Abiy Ahmed and Tigray forces once again clashing over several areas.

Ethiopia has also accused Eritrea, Egypt, and Sudan of supporting a new coalition that includes the TPLF and other armed groups opposing the federal government. The countries accused have denied Addis Ababa's claims.

The new fighting is the most intense in northern Ethiopia since the Pretoria agreement in 2022 ended the major phase of a two-year-long conflict.

Eritrea and Ethiopia were allies in that war, with Eritrean forces supporting the Ethiopian government troops in their fight against the TPLF.

However, Eritrea did not participate in the Pretoria peace agreement, and the relationship between Addis Ababa and Asmara has gradually deteriorated since that agreement.

The Red Sea dispute, the situation in Tigray, and security accusations from both sides have further strained the two governments.

Ethiopia and Eritrea restored their relations in 2018 after nearly twenty years of conflict following the border war of 1998-2000.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki agreed at that time to end the long-standing conflict between their countries, which led to the reopening of diplomatic relations.

Eight years later, Eritrea's decision to sever ties with Ethiopia removes one of the most significant outcomes of the 2018 agreement, as the conflict in northern Ethiopia continues to raise concerns about stability in the Horn of Africa.