Ethiopia has closed Eritrea’s embassy in Addis Ababa and declared 10 Eritrean diplomats persona non grata, prompting Asmara to threaten reciprocal action….reports Africa Daily News Desk

Eritrea has condemned Ethiopia’s decision to close its embassy in Asmara and expel 10 Eritrean diplomats, accusing Addis Ababa of pursuing an “agenda of incessant hostility” and threatening regional stability.

The Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had “no option but to reciprocate in kind” and sever diplomatic ties with Ethiopia, following Ethiopia’s declaration of 10 Eritrean diplomats as persona non grata.

The Ethiopian government announced on Wednesday that it had decided to close Eritrea’s embassy in Addis Ababa, citing what it described as “direct and indirect acts of hostility and belligerence against Ethiopia”.

It also declared 10 Eritrean diplomats, including the Eritrean chargé d’affaires and diplomats accredited to the African Union, persona non grata and ordered them to leave Ethiopia within 48 hours.

Ethiopia said the diplomats had been involved in activities that posed a direct threat to its national security and violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

Eritrea strongly rejected the allegations, describing Ethiopia’s actions as “unwarranted acts of hostility”.

In its response, Eritrea accused Ethiopia of pursuing what it called a “publicly pronounced declaration of war” over the past three years, linked to Ethiopia’s stated interest in securing sovereign access to the sea.

Why are Ethiopia and Eritrea relations deteriorating?

Eritrea alleged that Ethiopia’s ambitions included obtaining access to the Red Sea through what it described as plans involving “the invasion of sovereign Eritrean ports and coastal areas”.

It further accused Ethiopia of hosting, training and providing weapons to groups it described as “Eritrean armed opposition groups”, allegedly as part of an effort to promote “regime change” in Eritrea.

Eritrea said it had maintained patience and restraint in an effort to prevent the situation from escalating, but argued that the latest Ethiopian decision had left it with no alternative.

“Throughout these trying times, Eritrea has displayed patience and restraint in the hope of averting a dangerous escalation,” the Eritrean Foreign Ministry said.

The latest diplomatic dispute marks another serious deterioration in relations between the neighbouring Horn of Africa countries, which have a long history of conflict and tensions.

Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993, but the two countries later fought a devastating border war between 1998 and 2000.

Relations improved significantly after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki signed a peace declaration in 2018, formally ending years of hostility.

However, tensions have resurfaced in recent years, particularly over Ethiopia’s ambitions for access to the Red Sea and developments in the wider Horn of Africa.

Eritrea said it remained committed to peaceful coexistence and regional stability, but warned that Ethiopia’s latest actions could have “negative corollaries”.

The diplomatic fallout comes amid wider security concerns in the Horn of Africa, where tensions between neighbouring states and armed conflicts have continued to challenge regional stability.