Ethiopia ordered ten Eritrean diplomats to leave Addis Ababa within 48 hours and shut down its embassy in Asmara on Thursday, citing direct acts of hostility and national security threats as regional conflict intensifies.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Addis Ababa announced the sweeping diplomatic measures in an official statement issued on Thursday. Under the directive, the ten Eritrean diplomats stationed in the Ethiopian capital were declared persona non grata and ordered to depart the country within 48 hours. At the same time, the Ethiopian government confirmed the complete closure of its embassy in Asmara.
State officials anchored the decision on what they termed direct and indirect acts of hostility and belligerence directed against Ethiopia. Furthermore, the ministry stated that the expelled personnel engaged in activities that pose a direct threat to Ethiopia’s national security, pointing to violations of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The ministry did not provide specific details regarding the particular actions attributed to the diplomats.
Explosions in Addis Ababa and Escalating Conflict in Northern Ethiopia
The diplomatic rupture unfolds against a backdrop of widening military friction. Explosions were heard overnight in Addis Ababa, accompanying renewed fighting involving federal forces and opposition groups across northern Ethiopia. Ethiopia has accused neighboring countries of supporting forces opposed to the administration of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Clashes have intensified in and around the Tigray region, spreading into neighboring Amhara and Afar territories. Observers note these developments place severe strain on the November 2022 Pretoria peace agreement, which had ended the two-year war between the federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. International authorities have already warned of the possibility of further armed conflict along the border.
From the 2018 Peace Accords to Deteriorating Security and Border Friction
The abrupt closure marks a profound collapse of a partnership that once appeared to have transformed the Horn of Africa.
That rapprochement proved fragile.
Official Stances and Diplomatic Reassurance Amid Unresolved Security Disputes
Despite taking these punitive steps, the foreign ministry emphasized that Ethiopia continues to value deep-rooted historical, cultural, and people-to-people connections between the two nations, maintaining that it has consistently prioritized peaceful coexistence, regional stability, and integration.
Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, via News
“Ethiopia remains committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes and to working with all countries in the Horn of Africa to advance lasting peace, security, and regional integration.”
International authorities have responded to the deteriorating security dynamic with caution.
Neither government has provided detailed public evidence regarding the specific intelligence or actions that triggered the diplomatic expulsion, leaving the immediate future of bilateral relations largely unaddressed beyond official statements of regional intent.