Ethiopia severs diplomatic ties with Eritrea and Egypt amid renewed civil conflict
Fighting between Ethiopian government forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front resumed last week, prompting Ethiopia to break diplomatic relations with Eritrea, which it accused of supporting the rebels. The escalation also led Ethiopia to expel an Egyptian diplomat, deepening existing tensions over the construction of a controversial dam on the Nile River.
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A significant escalation of tensions emerged this week in the Horn of Africa following renewed fighting between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front. The conflict began last week when the TPLF launched attacks into the Afar and Amhara regions of northern Ethiopia, reigniting concerns about a return to the devastating civil war that occurred between 2020 and 2022.
Accusing Eritrea of supporting the rebels, the Ethiopian government severed diplomatic relations with its neighbour on Thursday. Ethiopia expelled ten Eritrean diplomats and closed its embassy in Asmara, while Eritrea announced it would "sever all diplomatic ties" with Ethiopia. Separately, Ethiopia expelled an Egyptian diplomat without explanation, leading Egypt to reciprocate the expulsion. This action reflected broader tensions between Ethiopia and Egypt over the construction of a new mega-dam on the Nile River, a project Egypt views with concern. Egypt had recently strengthened its own relationship with Eritrea.
Tigrayan rebel leader Debretsion Gebremichael described the conflict in strategic terms, stating in a video released Thursday that "the war is regional and it is a war to control the Red Sea." This reflects longstanding Eritrean concerns that landlocked Ethiopia may attempt to seize access to Eritrea's coastline. The African Union, based in Addis Ababa, expressed concern about the heightened tensions and urged all sides to exercise restraint.
On the battlefield, Ethiopian government forces and allied militias reported significant progress, recapturing the towns of Abala, Erebti and Megale in the Afar region. According to the Critical Threats Project, they are advancing into Tigrayan territory along three separate routes towards Mekelle, the regional capital. A pro-government militia group called the Tigray Peace Force claimed on social media to have taken complete control of Mekelle, though independent verification of this claim has not been possible.
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