Ethiopia announced on Thursday the closure of its diplomatic mission in Eritrea and the expulsion of ten Eritrean diplomats, marking a severe deterioration in relations between the Horn of Africa neighbors. The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry stated the decision was a direct response to what it described as “direct and indirect acts of hostility” from Asmara.
Addis Ababa accused the expelled diplomats of engaging in activities that posed a “direct threat” to Ethiopia’s national security. The diplomats were given a 48-hour window to leave the country.
The move reverses a significant diplomatic milestone, as the Ethiopian embassy in Eritrea had been reopened in 2018. That rapprochement was a key factor in then-Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for ending a decades-long border war.
The diplomatic fallout follows reports of an overnight explosion at the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) headquarters in the capital, Addis Ababa. According to the AFP news agency, citing diplomatic and security sources, the blast occurred between midnight and 1:00 am local time. The Associated Press reported that three separate explosions were heard after the government banned drone usage in the capital. It remains unclear whether the blasts were attacks or part of military training exercises, and no casualties have been confirmed.
Tensions are already high due to renewed violence in northern Ethiopia. Eritrea has denied allegations that it is supporting the Alliance for Survival, a coalition of rebel groups including the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the Amhara Fano National Movement, and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). These groups have been engaged in heavy fighting with Ethiopian government forces since last week, resulting in hundreds of killed and wounded.
The United Nations has called for an immediate de-escalation of the conflict and urged negotiations between the government and the rebel alliance.
Nobel Peace Prize feels like a distant memory now. It is heartbreaking to see how fragile this peace was.
Eritrea’s denial seems standard, but Ethiopia’s claim of direct hostility is serious. What evidence did they actually provide to the UN?
This is terrifying for the region. With active rebel alliances and expelled diplomats, we could be looking at full-scale war soon.
Wait, are we sure those weren’t just training explosions? The article says it remains unclear. Need more facts before jumping to conclusions.
Wow, the 2018 peace deal just crumbled overnight. That embassy closure is a stark reversal of history.