Key facts
- Ethiopia and Eritrea severed diplomatic ties on Thursday.
- Ethiopia accused Eritrea of involvement in renewed fighting in the Tigray region.
- Ethiopia expelled ten Eritrean diplomats, citing threats to national security.
- Eritrea reciprocated by severing all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia.
- Heavy fighting between Ethiopian forces and the TPLF has resumed in northern Ethiopia.
- An explosion occurred at Ethiopian military headquarters in Addis Ababa.
Ethiopia and Eritrea severed diplomatic ties on Thursday, escalating regional tensions as fighting continued in northern Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry announced the closure of its embassy in Eritrea and declared ten Eritrean diplomats persona non grata, accusing them of activities threatening national security. Eritrea's Foreign Ministry responded by calling the move "absurd" and stating it had no option but to reciprocate by severing all diplomatic ties.
The diplomatic rupture follows renewed heavy fighting that broke out last week between Ethiopian forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). This conflict has raised fears of a return to the devastating 2020-2022 civil war, which resulted in an estimated 600,000 deaths. Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of supporting the TPLF in this latest escalation.
Reports of an overnight explosion at the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) headquarters in Addis Ababa added to the instability, with diplomatic and security sources confirming the blast but unable to ascertain its cause or responsibility. The National Intelligence and Security Services had previously banned drone flights around the capital.
On the front lines, the TPLF has reportedly been pushed back from the town of Erebti in Afar, with fighting continuing near the border between Afar and Tigray. Verification of battlefield developments is challenging due to media restrictions and communication disruptions in affected areas. Medical charities have registered hundreds of wounded in Tigrayan hospitals.