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Ethiopia and Eritrea Sever Ties Amid Tigray Conflict

5:12 PM ETConfirmed

World Desk

In Short: Al Jazeera reported that Eritrea has asked the United Nations to take “deterrent measures” after what it called Ethiopia’s “declaration of war” in the Tigray conflict.

Ethiopia and Eritrea have severed diplomatic ties, with each accusing the other of military incursions in the Tigray region, according to reports from Al Jazeera (Qatar) and Middleeastmonitor (United Kingdom).

Al Jazeera reported that Eritrea has asked the United Nations to take “deterrent measures” after what it called Ethiopia’s “declaration of war” in the Tigray conflict. Meanwhile, Middleeastmonitor noted that Ethiopia announced the closure of its embassy in Asmara and declared 10 Eritrean diplomats in Addis Ababa personae non gratae, giving them 48 hours to leave the country.

Both outlets agree that tensions have escalated sharply, with Eritrea severing diplomatic relations with Ethiopia after Addis Ababa decided to close its embassy in Asmara and declare Eritrean diplomats personae non gratae.

According to Courthouse News, eyewitnesses observed a “substantial convoy of tanks and heavy weaponry advancing” from the south toward Zalambessa, indicating a significant military movement.

Responsible Statecraft reported that Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos wrote to the U.N. Security Council, citing Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, to say Eritrean troops had advanced up to 38 miles into Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region.

The Africa Report noted that Tigray is not in a position to wage war against the federal government, and that the TPLF and Tigrayans found themselves “very isolated” during the 2020-2022 war.

AFP reported that Tigray rebels were abandoning their regional capital in northern Ethiopia on Saturday, as pro-government forces advanced on the city.

Sunatimes highlighted that the latest clashes represent the most significant escalation since the end of Ethiopia's devastating 2020–2022 civil war.

Thebulwark raised concerns about potential refugee flows out of Eritrea and Ethiopia into Djibouti, adding that Eritrean forces are reportedly more than 60 miles into Ethiopian territory.

Middleeastmonitor cited a diplomatic source who said drone strikes likely caused explosions at the army headquarters in Addis Ababa this week, as the conflict with rebels triggered a breakdown in Ethiopia’s relations with Eritrea and Egypt.

Courthouse News quoted residents in Tigray who said, “Shops, restaurants and other businesses are closed, and you hardly see anyone on the streets,” indicating the impact of the conflict on local communities.

The conflict has also drawn international attention, with Pope Leo making an appeal for peace as hostilities intensify in the Tigray region.

What this adds

Background

What's confirmed

• Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of backing the rebel Tigray People’s Liberation Front, which launched a major offensive against government forces on Sept. 23.
• The group said eyewitnesses had observed a “substantial convoy of tanks and heavy weaponry advancing” from the south toward Zalambessa.
• On Friday, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos wrote to the U.N. Security Council, citing Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, to say Eritrean troops had advanced up to 38 miles into Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region and that Ethiopia would defend itself against the incursion.
• Ethiopia lost access to the sea when Eritrea became independent in 1993, and Abiy has spoken of the loss of the Eritrean port of Assab as a mistake “that will be corrected tomorrow.” Ethiopian officials often clarify that they seek access through peace and dialogue.
• Eritrea has asked the United Nations to take “deterrent measures” after what it called Ethiopia’s “declaration of war” in the conflict over the Tigray region.
• Eritrea’s request comes a day after Addis Ababa, in a letter to the Security Council, accused Asmara of launching an “all-out invasion”, saying Eritrean troops had advanced up to 60 kilometres (37 miles) into Ethiopia’s Tigray.

What's still developing

• It has become shorthand for a growing fear inside Ethiopia’s leadership that some of the actors who found themselves on opposing sides during the Tigray war may now be exploring areas of cooperation.
• Eritrea’s intervention in the Tigray conflict was brutal and, the Ethiopian prime minister told parliament in February this year, was a major cause of the rupture between the two capitals.
• The TPLF ruled all of Ethiopia from 1991 to 2018, when they were marginalised with the rise of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who hails from the Oromia region.
• Throughout August and September, the region of Tigray – Ethiopia’s northernmost constituent state, with an estimated population of roughly 7 million – has been subjected to federal air and drone attacks.
• The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and its allies are at war with the federal government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
• He said Ethiopia’s action would cause “huge devastation to the peoples of both countries and destabilise the whole region”.
• "This force is being struck by drones," he said, adding Eritrea was "deliberately deploying its forces so that the fighting takes place inside Tigray rather than spilling into Eritrea".
• “Ethiopian troops are on one side, and Eritrean troops are on the other,” Selam, 33, whose first name has been changed for security reasons, told AFP on Thursday.

Sources

• Courthouse Newslink
• Responsible Statecraftlink
• The Africa Reportlink
• Thebulwarklink
• Theconversationlink
• horn reviewlink
• Al Jazeeralink
• AFPlink
• Sunatimeslink
• Middleeastmonitorlink
• Aleteialink
• Theafricareportlink
• Stkittsgazettelink
• Africanewslink
• WarpBeat — background on Ethiopia and Eritrea Sever Diplomatic Ties Amid Tigray Conflict link
• WarpBeat — background on Ethiopia and Eritrea Edge Toward War Over Tigray Conflict link
• Firstpost — video link