Eritrea severs diplomatic ties with Ethiopia after Addis Ababa orders closure of embassy in Asmara

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1. 1h ago

   Eritrea severs diplomatic ties with Ethiopia following embassy closure

   Eritrea has severed all diplomatic relations with Ethiopia after Addis Ababa ordered the closure of its embassy in Asmara and declared 10 Eritrean diplomats persona non grata on Thursday. The diplomatic break follows overnight blasts in the Ethiopian capital and escalating fighting in the northern Tigray region. Ethiopia has accused Eritrea, Sudan, and Egypt of supporting an opposition alliance led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front, though all three nations deny these claims. The situation coincides with a broader regional tension involving Egypt and Sudan.

   Why it matters

   Ethiopia and Eritrea share a complex history, including Eritrea's annexation to Ethiopia after World War II and its subsequent independence in 1993. Current instability is driven by renewed conflict between the Ethiopian federal government and rebel fighters in the north. This diplomatic collapse risks expanding a domestic insurgency into a wider regional war.

   What is confirmed

   • Eritrea has severed all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia.
   • Ethiopia ordered the closure of its embassy in Asmara.
   • Ethiopia declared 10 Eritrean diplomats persona non grata.
   • Blasts were reported in Addis Ababa.
   • Fighting is ongoing between Ethiopian federal troops and rebel fighters in the northern Tigray region.

   Still unconfirmed

   • Eritrea, Sudan, and Egypt are supporting an opposition alliance led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front.

   What to watch next

   • Confirmation of the source and nature of the blasts in Addis Ababa.
   Sources used for this update (23)

   1. Reuters — Explosions heard in Ethiopia's capital as war waged in north
   2. AP News — Blasts reported in Ethiopian capital hours after government banned drone flights
   3. reuters.com — Eritrea says it is severing all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia
   4. WSJ — Drones Strike Ethiopia’s Capital as Country Severs Ties with Eritrea
   5. dw.com — Ethiopia and Eritrea sever ties amid Tigray fighting
   6. Al Jazeera — Eritrea severs diplomatic ties with Ethiopia in tit-for-tat move
   7. France 24 — Eye on Africa - Ethiopia and Eritrea break diplomatic ties over conflict
   8. BBC — TOOS Khilaaf diblumaasiyadeed oo mar kale ka dhex qaxay Itoobiya iyo Eriteriya
   9. www.al-monitor.com — Eritrea cuts ties with Ethiopia over Asmara embassy closure - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading inde....
   10. www.bbc.com — Ethiopia and Eritrea cut diplomatic ties as Tigray conflict escalates
   11. www.gbcghanaonline.com — Ethiopia and Eritrea sever diplomatic ties as northern conflict escalates
   12. www.tbsnews.net — Why Ethiopia and Eritrea have severed diplomatic ties
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