Ethiopia and Eritrea break diplomatic ties as fighting closes on Tigray capital

Ethiopia and Eritrea severed diplomatic relations on 1 October as fighting intensified in northern Ethiopia and explosions were heard in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia ordered its embassy in Asmara closed and declared ten Eritrean diplomats persona non grata. Eritrea responded by announcing a complete break in relations. The neighbours had restored diplomatic ties in 2018 after two decades of hostility.

In its 1 October statement, Ethiopia’s foreign ministry accused Eritrea of direct and indirect hostile acts. It alleged that the diplomats had engaged in activities threatening national security and gave them 48 hours to leave. Eritrea said the group included its chargé d’affaires and diplomats accredited to the African Union in Addis Ababa. That deadline fell on 3 October; there was no confirmed public account of every diplomat’s departure at the time of writing.

Asmara’s foreign ministry response rejected the Ethiopian accusations and described Addis Ababa’s policy as hostile. Eritrea alleged that Ethiopia sought sovereign access to the sea through its ports and coastal territory and that it supported armed Eritrean opposition groups. Those are Eritrea’s accusations, which Ethiopia disputes. Asmara said the embassy closure and expulsions left it with no option but to sever diplomatic ties.

Fighting in Tigray and explosions in the capital

The diplomatic rupture came amid the most serious fighting in northern Ethiopia since the 2020–2022 civil war. Federal troops and allied forces have fought an armed coalition led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. Addis Ababa has accused Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of supporting the coalition. Eritrea has denied the allegation; the assertions against the other states have not been independently established.

Explosions were heard in Addis Ababa overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, including near the defence ministry area. A source from the opposition alliance attributed them to drone attacks on military facilities, but that account was not independently verified and there were no confirmed casualty figures. Ethiopian security authorities subsequently restricted drone flights over the capital, far from the northern front lines.

By Friday, government troops and allied militia had taken towns in southern Tigray and were advancing toward Mekelle, the regional capital. Fighting was also reported in neighbouring Afar. On Saturday, residents and a federal military official said Ethiopian forces had retaken Mekelle’s airport. Control of the city itself remained unclear in those reports.

Egyptian expulsions and African Union appeal

Ethiopia also expelled an Egyptian diplomat on 1 October, prompting Cairo to declare an Ethiopian embassy counsellor persona non grata. The African Union Commission urged Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to exercise maximum restraint, avoid escalatory actions and statements, and keep channels of communication open. It offered to support de-escalation efforts.

Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a border war from 1998 to 2000. Their 2018 reconciliation helped earn Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed the Nobel Peace Prize. Eritrean forces later fought alongside Ethiopian government troops against the TPLF, but Asmara was not a party to the November 2022 peace agreement. Relations deteriorated thereafter, with Ethiopia’s calls for sea access heightening Eritrean concerns about its sovereignty.