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Eritrea Severes Ties With Ethiopia Amid Escalating Conflict
Confirmed
In Short: The Eritrean foreign ministry also accused Ethiopia of waging war against Eritrea to gain access to the Red Sea, and of hosting, training, and arming Eritrean opposition groups to stoke internal conflict.
Ethiopia accused Eritrea of backing the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which has launched a major assault against government forces, raising fears of a return to the devastating 2020-2022 civil war that killed an estimated 600,000 people.
In a statement, Ethiopia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared the 10 Eritrean diplomats persona non grata, requiring them to leave the country within 48 hours, citing their involvement in activities that pose a direct threat to Ethiopia's national security.
Eritrea's foreign ministry responded by stating that it has no option but to reciprocate in kind and sever all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia, accusing Ethiopia of pursuing an agenda of incessant hostility against Eritrea for three years.
The Eritrean foreign ministry also accused Ethiopia of waging war against Eritrea to gain access to the Red Sea, and of hosting, training, and arming Eritrean opposition groups to stoke internal conflict.
Ethiopia also expelled an Egyptian diplomat without giving a reason, adding to the tensions in the region.
Eritrea and Ethiopia broke diplomatic ties in 1998 during a brutal border war that lasted until 2000. Ties improved when Abiy Ahmed came to power in 2018, but the current conflict has strained relations once again.
The two countries have also been at odds over a mega dam being built by Ethiopia on the River Nile, and Egypt has built closer ties with Eritrea in recent months.
As the conflict continues, the diplomatic fallout between Eritrea and Ethiopia is likely to exacerbate the situation, potentially leading to further instability in the region.
What's confirmed
- Eritrea says it is severing all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia - reuters.com.
- Eritrea's foreign ministry responded shortly after that it "has no option but to reciprocate in kind and sever all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia".
- Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also declared 10 Eritrean diplomats in Addis Ababa, including the charge d’affaires and others accredited to the African Union, “persona non grata for involvement in activities that pose a direct threat to Ethiopia’s national security”, requiring them to leave the country within 48 hours.
What's still developing
- Hundreds have been killed and wounded since heavy fighting resumed in northern Ethiopia last week.
- Eritrea says it is breaking diplomatic ties with its neighbour Ethiopia in response to the expulsion of diplomats from Addis Ababa, as fighting between Ethiopia’s federal forces and a coalition of armed opposition groups intensifies.
- This came shortly after Ethiopia announced it would close its embassy in Asmara “in response to Eritrea’s direct and indirect acts of hostility and belligerence against Ethiopia”.
- Fierce clashes between Ethiopian federal forces and the armed opposition groups are continuing.
- Short Url https://arab.news/wbu4t Updated 1 October 2026 21:03 AFP October 1, 2026 21:02 Follow Eritrea announced breaking diplomatic ties with Ethiopia Move follows the expulsion of Eritrean diplomats from Addis Ababa Updated 1 October 2026 21:03 AFP October 1, 2026 21:02 Follow ADDIS ABABA: Eritrea said it was breaking diplomatic ties with its neighbor Ethiopia on Thursday, in response to the earlier expulsion of its diplomats from Addis Ababa.
- A diplomatic source, who asked not to be named for safety reasons, said a blast was heard at 7 pm near the defence headquarters, followed by a siren.
- The TPLF, an armed political group based in Tigray, was the dominant party in a coalition that ruled Ethiopia between 1991 and 2018, and has since been outlawed by Abiy's government.
- The move came hours after blasts were heard in parts of Addis Ababa and as fighting continued in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region.
- Last week, Ethiopia accused Eritrea of financing rebels in Tigray, who have taken control of several towns in renewed fighting against federal forces.
- Asmara accused Ethiopia of pursuing what it described as a “publicly pronounced declaration of war” through its campaign for sovereign access to the Red Sea, including what Eritrea said were ambitions involving its ports and coastal territory.