Ethiopia, Eritrea Break Diplomatic Ties as Tigray Fighting Escalates

Ethiopia and Eritrea have broken diplomatic ties in the latest and most serious deterioration between the neighbouring countries, as renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia raises fears that a conflict already involving armed groups could develop into a broader regional crisis.

The diplomatic rupture followed a decision by Ethiopia on Thursday to close its embassy in Asmara and declare 10 Eritrean diplomats persona non grata, ordering them to leave within 48 hours. Addis Ababa accused the diplomats of activities that posed a direct threat to Ethiopia’s national security and accused Eritrea of hostile actions against the Ethiopian state.

Eritrea responded by announcing that it was severing all diplomatic relations with Ethiopia. Its foreign ministry said the decision was a reciprocal response to Addis Ababa's actions and rejected Ethiopia's accusations. Eritrea has instead accused Ethiopia of pursuing a long-running hostile agenda, including seeking sovereign access to the Red Sea at Eritrea's expense.

The diplomatic confrontation is unfolding alongside a sharp escalation in fighting in Ethiopia's Tigray region. Tigrayan forces and an alliance of armed Ethiopian opposition groups have been battling federal forces and allied militias since late September, in the most serious fighting in the country since the 2020–2022 Tigray war. Reuters reports that Ethiopian federal forces and allied fighters are now advancing towards Mekelle, the regional capital.

Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of backing the opposition alliance led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). Eritrea denies supporting the armed groups. Ethiopia had already formally accused Eritrea earlier this year of military aggression, supporting armed groups inside Ethiopia and maintaining troops in disputed areas along the border.

The allegations are particularly significant because Eritrea and Ethiopia were on the same side during much of the previous Tigray war. Eritrean forces supported Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government during the 2020–2022 conflict, which ended with the Pretoria peace agreement. Eritrea, however, was not a signatory to that agreement, and relations between Asmara and Addis Ababa subsequently deteriorated.

One of the major sources of tension has been Ethiopia's demand for reliable access to the Red Sea. As a landlocked country, Ethiopia regards access to the sea as strategically important, while Eritrea has viewed repeated Ethiopian statements about maritime access with suspicion. The Eritrean government has accused Addis Ababa of harbouring ambitions involving Eritrean territory and ports, allegations Ethiopia rejects.

The crisis is also extending beyond the two countries. Ethiopia has accused Egypt and Sudan of supporting the opposition forces, allegations both countries have denied. Egypt and Ethiopia have separately exchanged diplomatic expulsions this week, adding another layer to an already complicated regional dispute involving the Nile, Sudan's civil war and Red Sea security.

The African Union has expressed concern over the escalating tensions and called on Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to exercise maximum restraint. The continental body urged the governments to preserve communication channels and settle their differences through diplomacy and peaceful dialogue.

The United Nations has similarly warned about the deteriorating security situation in northern Ethiopia. The UN says fighting and displacement are placing civilians at increased risk and has called on all sides to protect civilians, allow humanitarian access and avoid actions that could produce an even wider conflict.

The human cost is already becoming visible. Humanitarian organizations have reported large numbers of wounded people in hospitals across Tigray, while fresh displacement is adding to the population still affected by the previous war. Communications restrictions and limited access to some conflict areas are also making it difficult to independently verify battlefield claims and casualty figures.

There have also been signs that the conflict is moving closer to Ethiopia's political and economic centre. Explosions were reported in Addis Ababa this week, while authorities imposed restrictions on drone flights around the capital. The cause and responsibility for the explosions have not been independently established, although Ethiopian and diplomatic sources have linked them to the wider fighting.

The collapse of Ethiopia-Eritrea diplomatic relations therefore represents more than a dispute over expelled diplomats. It removes another formal channel between two countries whose relationship has repeatedly shifted from confrontation to cooperation and back again. With fighting already active in Tigray, instability continuing in Sudan and disagreements involving Egypt and the Red Sea, the immediate challenge for regional leaders is preventing a renewed Ethiopian conflict from drawing neighbouring states directly into the fighting. The African Union and UN calls for restraint underline the stakes: what began as a breakdown in relations between two Horn of Africa neighbours could have consequences well beyond their shared border.