According to Reuters, Ethiopia ordered the closure of its embassy in Eritrea on October 1st, and declared 10 Eritrean diplomats as undesirable individuals. Previously, an explosion was reported at night in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, causing concerns that conflicts in northern Ethiopia could spread. Eritrea subsequently announced the severing of all diplomatic relations with this neighboring country.
Ethiopia accused Eritrea, Sudan, and Egypt of supporting an opposition alliance led by the "Tigrinya People's Liberation Front." Since last week, this alliance has been fighting against troops loyal to the Ethiopian Federal Government. The three countries have denied this accusation.
This round of conflict is the most significant escalation in Ethiopian warfare since the civil war ended in 2020-2022. That civil war resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands of people. During that war, Eritrea sent troops to support the Ethiopian Federal Government.
Ethiopia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the decision to close its embassy in the Eritrean capital Asmara was in response to Eritrea's direct and indirect hostile and provocative actions towards Ethiopia.
Their statement also indicates that 10 Ethiopian diplomats from Eritrea must leave Ethiopia within 48 hours.
Eritrean Foreign Minister Yemane Ghebre Meskel told Reuters that Ethiopia expelled all Eritrean diplomats, effectively shutting down the Eritrean embassy in Addis Ababa.
Erytrea Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement: "Erytrea has no choice but to respond with countermeasures against Ethiopia and sever all diplomatic relations.”
Ethiopia's national broadcasting company and two persons familiar with the matter revealed that the Ethiopian government also declared an Egyptian diplomat an unwanted person, ordering him to leave within 48 hours.
Egyptian official media, Cairo News, quoted a senior Egyptian source, stating that Cairo has taken countermeasures by declaring an Ethiopian embassy counselor working in Egypt as an unwelcome person, and ordering him to leave the country within 48 hours.
This source said that Ethiopia's actions against Egyptian diplomats are "regrettable" and unjustified, emphasizing that Egypt has always refused to interfere in other countries' internal affairs.
This series of tough diplomatic measures took place hours after an explosion was reported in the capital of Ethiopia, increasing concerns that the conflict could escalate into a broader regional conflict.
A source associated with the opposition alliance told Reuters that the alliance carried out several drone attacks in Addis Ababa, with some targets being military headquarters.
If the information is true, this will be the first time that anti-government militants have launched a drone attack on Addis Ababa. The capital is hundreds of kilometers away from the northern Tigri, Amhara, and Afar war zones.
Due to the sensitivity of the incident, three undisclosed diplomatic sources confirmed the explosion. Witnesses reported that there was no obvious damage around the military base.
In 2018, Ethiopia reopened its embassy in Eritrea, and relations between the two countries were reconciled. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed thus received the Nobel Peace Prize.
During the war from 2020 to 2022, the two armies worked together to combat the core organization in the Tegre region, the Tegre People's Liberation Front. However, Eritrea did not participate in the peace agreement that ended the war in November 2022, and relations between the two countries deteriorated rapidly thereafter.
The two sides also engaged in verbal exchanges regarding the issue of access to the Red Sea. As an inland country, Ethiopia insists that having access to the sea is crucial for its security and economy. Eritrea, on the other hand, is worried that Ethiopia might attempt to seize Eritrea’s Port of Asab by force.
Days after a new round of conflicts broke out, Haji Awol Alba, the chief administrator of Afar State in northern Ethiopia, told Al Jazeera that Eritrean soldiers have entered the Afar region and joined the offensive of the opposition alliance.
The Ethiopian national intelligence service has banned drones from flying over Addis Ababa. Previously, it was unknown that opposition armed groups possessed armed drones, but increasing evidence suggests they may have the relevant combat capabilities.
The pro-government armed group 'Tigri Peace Forces' claimed on September 29 that they have captured the drone frames and batteries belonging to armed personnel associated with the 'Tigri People's Liberation Front'.
Risk intelligence agency analyst Edward Bach said that the opposition's ability to strike Addis Ababa could become a "key variable in changing the political landscape." This would undermine the Ethiopian government's claim that the capital is not affected by war, and would also weaken one of the Federal Army's core tactical advantages—air superiority.
