Ethiopia Closes Eritrean Embassy, Expels 10 Diplomats as Tensions Escalate

Addis Ababa (Caasimada Online) – The Ethiopian government ordered on Thursday the closure of its embassy in the city of Asmara, while also instructing 10 Eritrean diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours, a step that reflects the level of the escalating conflict between the two countries.

The decision came hours after several explosions were heard in the city of Addis Ababa, as the renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia continues to expand, amid concerns that it could turn into a regional confrontation.

The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it is closing the Asmara embassy due to what it described as “hostile and warlike acts both directly and indirectly” that Eritrea has committed against Ethiopia.

It also stated that the 10 Eritrean diplomats were declared persona non grata after being accused of involvement in “activities that pose a direct threat to the national security of Ethiopia” that violate international diplomatic relations norms.

The ministry did not name the diplomats, nor did it provide details on the specific activities they were accused of.

Ethiopia has called on the Eritrean government to cease actions that it claims contradict the principles governing relations between sovereign states.

On the other hand, Addis Ababa stated that it is still assessing the “historical, cultural, and social relationship” between the peoples of the two countries, and that it is committed to resolving conflicts peacefully.

Explosions in Addis Ababa

The diplomatic tension has arisen after explosions were heard in parts of Addis Ababa on Wednesday night.

Diplomatic sources speaking to Reuters confirmed that several explosions were heard, while sources linked to the Ethiopian opposition coalition told the agency that drone attacks targeted locations in the capital, including the Ethiopian military command center.

There has been no independent confirmation regarding what caused the explosions or who carried them out.

Witnesses reported that no visible damage was seen around the military compound.

If it is confirmed that opposition forces attacked Addis Ababa with drones, it would be the first known instance of anti-government forces carrying out such an attack in the capital, which is hundreds of kilometers away from the battlefields in Tigray, Amhara, and Afar.

Government officials, Ethiopian forces, and the TPLF did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

Friends turned foes

Ethiopia has recently accused Eritrea, Egypt, and Sudan of supporting an opposition coalition led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which is fighting against federal government forces and allied groups.

The three countries have denied these accusations.

The ongoing battles are the fiercest to occur in Ethiopia since the Pretoria agreement in November 2022 ended a two-year conflict in Tigray, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands.

At that time, Eritrea was fighting alongside the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed against the TPLF, with its forces playing a significant role in the conflict in northern Ethiopia.

However, Eritrea did not participate in the Pretoria agreement between the Ethiopian government and the TPLF, and the relationship between Addis Ababa and Asmara gradually deteriorated afterwards.

This was a significant change compared to 2018, when Ethiopia and Eritrea restored their diplomatic relations after many years of conflict.

Ethiopia reopened its embassy in Asmara at that time, and the peace agreement between the two countries played a major role in Abiy Ahmed being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019.

Now, the relationship between the two governments has once again entered one of its worst phases since that agreement.

The head of the Afar regional administration, Haji Awol Arba, told Al Jazeera days after the new fighting began that Eritrean troops had entered Afar to participate in the attacks of the opposition alliance.

Eritrea has not explicitly responded to that accusation.

On the other hand, Ethiopian federal forces and government-aligned militias announced on Thursday that they had made further gains on the fronts in Tigray and Afar. Reuters has not independently verified those claims.

The new tension has now combined an internal conflict in Ethiopia with a worsening dispute between Addis Ababa and Asmara, raising fears that the conflict in northern Ethiopia could spill over the country's borders.