Addis Ababa, Oct 1 (EFE).- The Government of Eritrea announced on Thursday the complete severance of its diplomatic relations with Ethiopia as a response to an earlier decision by the Ethiopian Executive to close its embassy in Asmara, the capital, and declare ten Eritrean diplomats persona non grata after accusing them of threatening national security.
In an official statement, Eritrean authorities said the country has «no option but to reciprocate in kind and severe all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia with all the negative corollaries that this entails.»
Eritrea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs characterized the Ethiopian allegations of hostility as «unwarranted.» It denounced Addis Ababa for pursuing a policy of a «declaration of war» over the past three years to force «sovereign access to the sea» through the potential invasion of Eritrean ports and coastal areas.
The Eritrean Executive further alleged that Ethiopia harbors, trains, and arms «Eritrean armed opposition groups» to push for «regime change» and instigate internal conflict.
The countermeasure followed shortly after Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the closure of its diplomatic mission in Asmara and gave ten Eritrean diplomats (including representatives accredited to the African Union) 48 hours to leave the country after accusing them of involvement in activities threatening national security.
This diplomatic rupture unravels the rapprochement initiated in 2018 with the reopening of the Ethiopian Embassy (an act for which Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed received the Nobel Peace Prize) following two decades of frozen relations after the 1998–2000 border war.
The diplomatic clash coincides with a severe escalation of hostilities in the northern region of Tigray, where a rebel alliance led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) announced an offensive against Ethiopian federal forces last week.
Addis Ababa accuses Asmara of funding the rebel forces, an allegation the Eritrean Government categorically denies amid growing international concern over a potential new full-scale war in the Horn of Africa. EFE
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