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Ethiopia and Eritrea have formally severed diplomatic relations, a dramatic rupture between the neighbouring states that comes amid escalating fighting in northern Ethiopia and mounting fears that the conflict could draw in the wider region. The breakdown followed Ethiopia's announcement on Thursday that it was closing its embassy in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, and ordering ten Eritrean diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours. Addis Ababa accused the expelled envoys of engaging in activities that threatened Ethiopia's national security, a charge that Eritrea has strongly rejected.
Eritrea responded hours later by announcing that it was cutting all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia, describing Addis Ababa's move as "astounding". In a statement issued late on Thursday, Eritrea's foreign ministry said it had been left with no option but to act in kind, warning that its decision would carry "negative corollaries". The swift reciprocal action marks the most severe deterioration in relations between the two countries in years and signals how quickly a dispute that once seemed contained has spiralled into a full diplomatic break.
The diplomatic confrontation unfolded just hours after powerful explosions were heard overnight in Addis Ababa, including blasts near Ethiopia's military headquarters and close to the offices of the national intelligence service. Residents in two separate areas of the capital told the BBC they heard loud detonations during the night, with one person living near the intelligence headquarters saying the blast was powerful enough to set off car alarms. Ethiopian authorities have not confirmed what caused the explosions, and no official reports of casualties or significant damage have been released.
A source linked to the opposition alliance told Reuters news agency that its forces had carried out drone attacks in the capital. The explosions occurred shortly after Ethiopia's National Intelligence and Security Service imposed an indefinite ban on drone flights over Addis Ababa and surrounding areas, citing the need to protect senior officials, critical infrastructure and public gatherings. The timing of the ban and the subsequent blasts has intensified speculation about the reach of armed opposition groups, though independent verification remains difficult.
At the heart of the crisis is the renewed fighting between Ethiopian federal forces and fighters loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), along with its allies, across parts of Tigray, Afar and Amhara. The latest hostilities represent the most serious outbreak of violence since a peace agreement ended the devastating Tigray war in 2022. An African Union mediator previously estimated that roughly 600,000 people lost their lives during that two-year conflict, a toll that underscores the stakes of the current escalation.
Last month, the TPLF joined six other armed movements, including the Fano militia from Amhara, to form an alliance whose stated aim is to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government from power. Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of supporting this alliance, an allegation Asmara has repeatedly denied. A pro-government militia commander fighting in Tigray also told the BBC that Eritrean soldiers had been involved on the front lines, although the BBC has not independently verified that claim.
Before diplomatic relations were severed, Eritrea's Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel gave a rare interview to the BBC in which he rejected the accusations. He told BBC Tigrinya that Ethiopia's governing Prosperity Party was blaming neighbouring countries in order to divert attention from conflicts and other problems within Ethiopia. His remarks highlighted the deep mistrust that has come to define the relationship between the two governments, even as both face internal pressures.
The two countries were allies during the 2020-2022 Tigray war, when Eritrean troops fought alongside Ethiopian federal forces against the TPLF. Relations have since deteriorated sharply, particularly over Ethiopia's push for direct access to the Red Sea. Landlocked Ethiopia lost its coastline when Eritrea became independent in 1993, and Abiy has repeatedly argued that sea access is essential to his country's long-term economic and security interests. Asmara, for its part, accuses Ethiopia of harbouring ambitions over its ports and of pursuing an increasingly hostile policy.
On the ground, fighting continues across northern Ethiopia. Federal forces and their allies appear to have made gains in southern Tigray and are reportedly advancing towards Mekelle, the regional capital. In Alamata, a doctor told the BBC earlier this week that at least 52 civilians had been killed during three days of intense fighting. The TPLF has also been engaged in combat in neighbouring Afar, which lies along Ethiopia's crucial transport corridor to Djibouti and the sea, and tens of thousands of people are estimated to have fled their homes there.
Both the Ethiopian government and the TPLF blame each other for starting the latest round of hostilities. Tigrayan authorities say their forces were responding to a federal offensive and drone strikes, while Addis Ababa says Tigrayan fighters launched attacks after taking control of federally administered airports in Tigray. With each side offering a competing narrative, independent verification of events on the front lines remains extremely difficult, leaving civilians caught in the middle of an increasingly opaque war.
The severing of diplomatic ties carries significant implications beyond the bilateral relationship. Eritrea's warning of "negative corollaries" suggests the rupture could affect security cooperation, trade and the movement of people across a border that has long been a flashpoint. For a region still recovering from one of the deadliest conflicts of the past decade, the collapse of diplomacy between two former battlefield allies raises the prospect of a wider confrontation that could destabilise the Horn of Africa.
Regional and international mediators now face a far more difficult task. The African Union, which helped broker the 2022 peace agreement, has yet to comment publicly on the latest developments. With embassies closing, diplomats expelled and heavy fighting continuing on multiple fronts, the space for negotiation appears to be narrowing. Observers warn that unless the diplomatic freeze is reversed and the fighting halted, the human and political costs of the conflict will continue to mount, deepening an already severe humanitarian crisis in northern Ethiopia.
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