Ethiopia Closes Asmara Embassy and Expels 10 Eritrean Diplomats Amid Escalating Tensions

Ethiopia has announced the closure of its embassy in Asmara, Eritrea, and ordered 10 Eritrean diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this action was taken in response to Eritrea's direct and indirect acts of aggression and activities deemed threats to Ethiopia's national security. In response, Eritrea's Ministry of Information announced that Asmara has severed all diplomatic relations with Ethiopia, accusing Addis Ababa of waging an open war agenda and seeking access to Eritrean ports. The sharp diplomatic fallout follows renewed conflict in northern Ethiopia, where local officials in the Afar region and Ethiopian military leaders accuse Eritrean forces of actively interfering and backing armed groups fighting the federal government. Conversely, Eritrean Minister of Information Yemane Gebremeskel denied these allegations, stating that the Ethiopian government is seeking external scapegoats for its internal political crises. Relations between the two Horn of Africa neighbors have steadily deteriorated despite a historic rapprochement in 2018, exacerbated by Ethiopia's recent public push for sea access.