Ethiopia and Eritrea have severed diplomatic relations as renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia raises fears of a wider regional conflict.
On Thursday Ethiopia closed its embassy in Asmara and ordered ten Eritrean diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours, citing threats to national security.
Eritrea responded by cancelling diplomatic ties, calling the Ethiopian decision “astounding” and saying it had no choice but to reciprocate.
The diplomatic rupture followed powerful explosions heard in Addis Ababa last night near the Ethiopian military headquarters, possibly drone strikes by an opposition alliance.
The escalation occurs as Ethiopian federal forces battle the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and allied militias in Tigray, Afar and Amhara. Both sides blame each other for starting the latest flare‑up.
The conflict is the most serious since the 2022 peace agreement that ended the devastating Tigray war, which left an estimated 600,000 dead.
Relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea deteriorated after the war, mainly over Ethiopia’s push for red sea access – a dispute that could reshape the region’s security dynamics.
International bodies, including the African Union and the United Nations, have urged restraint and called for a diplomatic resolution to avoid destabilisation and protect humanitarian aid.
Meanwhile, civilians in the north face mounting casualties. In Alamata a doctor reported at least 52 killed in three days of fighting, and tens of thousands have fled Afar’s transport routes to Djibouti.
As tensions mount, observers warn that a broader conflict could involve neighboring states and disrupt regional trade corridors.
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