More than 50 people have been killed since heavy fighting resumed in northern Ethiopia last week. Ethiopia and Eritrea have severed diplomatic relations as renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia raises fears of a wider regional conflict.
On Thursday, Ethiopia announced that it was closing its embassy in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, and ordered 10 Eritrean diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours, accusing them of activities that threatened national security. Eritrea responded by cutting diplomatic relations, stating that Ethiopia's decision left it with no choice but to take reciprocal action.
The diplomatic confrontation came hours after powerful explosions were heard overnight in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, including near Ethiopia's military headquarters. This follows a sharp deterioration in relations between the neighbors, with Addis Ababa accusing Eritrea of supporting an alliance of armed groups fighting the Ethiopian government—an allegation Asmara has repeatedly denied.
Ethiopia stated it was expelling 10 Eritrean diplomats who "pose a direct threat to Ethiopia's national security" and would shut its embassy in Asmara. In response, Eritrea announced late on Thursday that it was severing diplomatic ties with Ethiopia, describing Addis Ababa's decision as "astounding." Eritrea's foreign ministry warned of "negative corollaries" from the decision.
The diplomatic fallout comes as Ethiopian federal forces battle fighters from the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and its allies across parts of Tigray, Afar, and Amhara. The latest hostilities are the most serious since a peace agreement ended the Tigray war in 2022, which an African Union mediator previously estimated resulted in about 600,000 deaths.
Last month, the TPLF joined six other armed movements, including the Fano militia from Amhara, to form an alliance aimed at removing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government from power. Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of assisting this alliance. A pro-government militia commander fighting in Tigray claimed that Eritrean soldiers had been involved on the front lines, a claim the BBC has not independently verified. However, Eritrea's Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel rejected these accusations in a rare interview with the BBC before diplomatic relations were severed, stating that Ethiopia's governing Prosperity Party was blaming neighboring countries to divert attention from internal conflicts.
The two countries were allies during the 2020-2022 Tigray war, when Eritrean troops fought alongside Ethiopian federal forces against the TPLF. However, relations have deteriorated significantly since then, particularly over Ethiopia's push for direct access to the Red Sea. Asmara accuses Ethiopia of pursuing an increasingly hostile policy regarding the Red Sea. Landlocked Ethiopia lost its coastline when Eritrea became independent in 1993. Abiy has argued that access to the sea is essential for Ethiopia's long-term economic and security interests, while Eritrea has accused his government of harboring ambitions over its ports.
The latest diplomatic confrontation occurred hours after loud explosions were reported on Wednesday night in Addis Ababa, near the intelligence service headquarters. A source linked to the opposition alliance told Reuters that its forces had conducted drone attacks in the capital. Ethiopian authorities have not confirmed the cause of the explosions, and there have been no official reports of casualties or significant damage. Residents in two areas of Addis Ababa reported hearing powerful explosions during the night, with one resident near the intelligence headquarters stating that the blast was loud enough to trigger car alarms.
The explosions followed Ethiopia's National Intelligence and Security Service imposing an indefinite ban on drone flights over Addis Ababa and surrounding areas, citing the need to protect senior officials, important infrastructure, and public events. Meanwhile, fighting continues across northern Ethiopia, with federal forces and their allies reportedly making gains in southern Tigray and advancing towards Mekelle, the regional capital. A doctor in Alamata reported at least 52 civilian deaths during three days of intense fighting.
The TPLF has also been active in neighboring Afar, which lies along Ethiopia's crucial transport corridor to Djibouti and the sea. Tens of thousands of people are estimated to have fled their homes in the region. Both the Ethiopian government and the TPLF accuse each other of initiating the latest hostilities. Tigrayan authorities claim their forces were responding to a federal offensive and drone strikes, while Addis Ababa asserts that Tigrayan fighters launched attacks after taking control of federally administered airports in Tigray.
Independent verification remains challenging due to limited access for journalists to conflict areas and disrupted communications across much of Tigray. The African Union has urged Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Egypt to exercise restraint and resolve their differences through diplomatic channels, warning against actions that could further destabilize the region. The UN has also warned that the deteriorating security situation is severely disrupting humanitarian work in northern Ethiopia. UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric stated that drone activity and air strikes are putting civilians, vital infrastructure, and aid operations at risk, while insecurity and road closures are restricting humanitarian movements. The UN has called on all sides to ensure safe and unhindered access to people in need.