Ethiopia has expelled Eritrean and Egyptian diplomats over alleged threats to its national security with both countries taking reciprocal measures
Renewed fighting between Ethiopia’s federal government and regional armed groups has escalated into a diplomatic rupture with former wartime ally Eritrea. What was an internal conflict has become a wider regional confrontation over ports, water, and alleged foreign interference. The violence threatens a fragile 2022 peace deal that ended Ethiopia’s two-year Tigray war, raising fears of a return to full-scale conflict.
What triggered the diplomatic rupture?
Ethiopia announced on Thursday the closure of its embassy in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, and ordered ten Eritrean diplomats stationed in Addis Ababa to leave Ethiopia within 48 hours. Its Foreign Ministry accused them of threatening national security and blamed Eritrea for “direct and indirect acts of hostility and belligerence against Ethiopia.”
Eritrea reciprocated the measure and severed “all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia with all the negative corollaries that this entails.” It rejected the allegations and accused Addis Ababa of planning to take Eritrean ports and of training and arming Eritrean opposition groups to pursue regime change. Addis Ababa said it remained committed to peaceful coexistence and resolving disputes through dialogue.
The breakdown in relations came days after Addis Ababa accused Eritrea of financing armed groups seeking to overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Asmara denies the accusations.
What are they fighting over?
The conflict grew out of a struggle over federal power and regional autonomy. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the political party governing Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, dominated national politics for nearly three decades before Abiy took office in 2018. Tigrayan leaders accused his government of seeking to centralize power at the region’s expense. Their confrontation erupted into war in November 2020.
Eritrean troops and Amhara forces fought alongside the federal army. Hundreds of thousands died before an African Union-mediated agreement signed in Pretoria, South Africa, in November 2022 halted the large-scale fighting. But disputes over territory claimed by both Amhara and Tigray, the return of displaced people, and the disarmament of Tigrayan forces remained unresolved. Addis Ababa accuses the TPLF of failing to disarm; Tigrayan leaders accuse the government of failing to honor the settlement.
The TPLF further strained the settlement in May by restoring Tigray’s prewar regional council, displacing the interim administration established under the agreement. Amhara militia fighters known as Fano, meanwhile, had turned against Addis Ababa in 2023 after the government moved to dismantle regional security forces.
Read more Ethiopia faces return to war as fighting spreadsSeparate disputes have widened the confrontation. Landlocked Ethiopia wants sovereign access to the Red Sea, particularly through Eritrea’s Assab port, which it calls vital to its economy and security. Asmara fears an attempt to take its coastline by force. Egypt and Sudan also dispute Ethiopia’s operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile, fearing threats to their water supplies and demanding a binding agreement governing its filling and operation.
Why has fighting resumed in Ethiopia?
On September 20, seven armed groups, including the TPLF and its former battlefield enemies, announced an alliance pledging to oust Abiy’s government and establish a transitional administration. The coalition, known as the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, accused the ruling Prosperity Party of imposing “dictatorial” rule and pushing the East African country toward disintegration.
Clashes erupted two days later. TPLF forces took control of airports in Mekelle, Axum and Shire, prompting state-owned Ethiopian Airlines to suspend flights to all three cities. Flights were also suspended to the Amhara town of Lalibela, home to UNESCO-listed rock-hewn churches, as fighting spread.
On September 23, Addis Ababa accused the TPLF of launching an “all-out offensive” against government positions in Amhara and Afar. Tigray’s regional authorities said their troops entered a “defensive battle” after federal forces attacked them with aircraft, drones, and artillery. The federal army said it had repelled attacks in Amhara’s North Wollo Zone and killed 272 Tigrayan fighters and wounded 260 others in a counteroffensive.
READ MORE: Ethiopia accuses foreign powers of backing anti-govt rebels
The army and its allied Tigray Peace Forces subsequently reported capturing Alamata and Korem and retaking Erebti in Afar. Explosions were also heard in Addis Ababa overnight Wednesday to Thursday of this week, although opposition claims of drone attacks remain unverified.
What is the impact on civilians?
Doctors Without Borders reported more than 420 war-wounded patients at Korem and Alamata hospitals between September 22 and 25, and over 300 at Suhul hospital in Shire during the latest fighting. Insecurity forced the organization to suspend activities at Alamata hospital.
On September 25, UN human rights chief Volker Turk condemned forced recruitment by the TPLF, including of children, and reprisals against those resisting recruitment and their families. He also raised reports of arbitrary conscription by government forces.
Why did Ethiopia and Eritrea fall out?
Eritrea was once part of Ethiopia but gained independence in 1993 after a decades-long liberation war, leaving Ethiopia landlocked. The neighbors fought a border war in 1998–2000, followed by years of hostility until Abiy and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki reconciled in 2018. The rapprochement helped earn Abiy the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize.
Their partnership fractured after the Tigray war. Eritrea was not a party to the Pretoria agreement despite its military involvement. According to the International Crisis Group, Asmara resented being sidelined and wanted Addis Ababa to pursue a complete battlefield victory over the TPLF rather than a negotiated settlement.
Read more Colonial chains broken? The largest African dam tests water legacyWho else is accused of backing the armed groups?
Ethiopia’s accusations extend beyond Eritrea. Army chief Birhanu Jula also accused Egypt and Sudan of supporting the rebels. Both countries denied the allegations. On Thursday, Ethiopia ordered an Egyptian diplomat to leave within 48 hours. Egypt retaliated by giving an Ethiopian Embassy counselor the same deadline, calling Addis Ababa’s decision unjustified.
Sudan’s army has also accused Ethiopia of supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, its opponent in a civil war that began in April 2023.
How are regional and international bodies responding?
The AU has urged Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Egypt to exercise “maximum restraint and refrain from actions or statements that could further escalate tensions and undermine regional peace and stability.” It asked the three countries to resolve their differences through diplomatic channels.
The UN and EU also urged de-escalation. Russia called for a ceasefire on September 25. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova urged compliance with peace commitments and noninterference, stressing Ethiopia’s unity and territorial integrity.
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