oluwatosin oyeniyi ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopia has escalated its diplomatic confrontation with neighbouring Eritrea, announcing the closure of its embassy in Asmara and ordering Eritrean diplomats to leave the country, while also expelling an Egyptian diplomat amid growing regional tensions.
The measures come as Ethiopia faces heightened security concerns in its northern regions and increasingly strained relations with Eritrea and Egypt.
Ethiopia announced that 10 Eritrean diplomats had been declared persona non grata, requiring them to leave the country. Addis Ababa also ordered the closure of its embassy in Asmara.
The move represents a significant deterioration in relations between the two neighbours, which have a long and complicated history of conflict and cooperation.
Ethiopia-Eritrea tensions deepen
Relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea have deteriorated sharply since the two countries’ rapprochement under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Abiy and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki signed a peace declaration in 2018 that formally ended the state of war that had existed between the countries since the 1998–2000 border conflict.
The relationship subsequently became more complicated during Ethiopia’s 2020–2022 Tigray war.
Eritrean forces fought alongside Ethiopian federal troops against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), but their continued presence in Tigray after the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement became a major source of concern.
The latest diplomatic measures come as fighting has again intensified in Tigray, raising fears that Ethiopia’s fragile northern peace could unravel.
Tigray conflict adds to the pressure
The renewed confrontation between Ethiopian federal forces and Tigrayan forces has increased the importance of Ethiopia’s relationship with Eritrea.
Ethiopian officials have previously accused Eritrea of supporting forces opposed to the federal government. Eritrean authorities have rejected accusations that they are seeking to destabilise Ethiopia.
The latest escalation in Tigray is particularly sensitive because the region borders Eritrea and any expansion of the conflict could have consequences beyond Ethiopia’s borders.
The 2022 peace agreement ended two years of devastating warfare, but disputes over territory, political authority and security arrangements remained unresolved.
Humanitarian organisations have also warned about the risks of renewed displacement in a region where large numbers of people remain displaced from the previous conflict.
Egyptian diplomat ordered to leave
Ethiopia has also taken action against an Egyptian diplomat.
According to the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA), Addis Ababa ordered an Egyptian diplomat to leave the country within 48 hours.
The expulsion adds another layer to Ethiopia’s increasingly tense regional diplomatic environment.
Relations between Ethiopia and Egypt have been strained for years over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile.
Egypt considers the dam’s operation and the management of Nile water flows a major national-security issue, while Ethiopia regards the project as essential to its economic development and electricity generation.
Sudan is also directly affected by the dispute because it lies downstream from Ethiopia and between the two countries.
A wider regional confrontation
The simultaneous deterioration in Ethiopia’s relations with Eritrea and Egypt highlights the interconnected nature of security and diplomatic disputes in the Horn of Africa and the Nile Basin.
The region is already dealing with armed conflicts, displacement, food insecurity and political instability.
A prolonged diplomatic confrontation between Ethiopia and Eritrea could complicate efforts to contain renewed fighting in Tigray. Meanwhile, continued disagreement with Egypt over the Nile and the GERD remains one of Africa’s most persistent interstate disputes.
For neighbouring countries, the concern is that separate disputes could begin reinforcing one another.
Diplomatic channels remain important
Despite the latest measures, maintaining diplomatic channels will be important for preventing further escalation.
The Ethiopia-Eritrea border has previously been the site of major military confrontation, while the Tigray conflict demonstrated how quickly political disputes can develop into humanitarian emergencies.
Regional organisations, particularly the African Union, have a potential role in encouraging dialogue and supporting mechanisms that can prevent miscalculation.
For Ethiopia, resolving outstanding issues with Eritrea will also require addressing security concerns along the northern border while avoiding actions that could widen the conflict.
With Egypt, sustained negotiations over the GERD and Nile water management remain central to reducing tensions.
The immediate diplomatic expulsions may therefore be only one part of a broader regional dispute whose consequences could extend well beyond the three countries involved.
For now, Ethiopia’s decision to close its embassy in Asmara and expel Eritrean diplomats signals a sharp deterioration in relations, while the expulsion of an Egyptian diplomat adds to the country’s increasingly complex regional diplomatic challenges.
