Ethiopia and Eritrea Sever Diplomatic Ties Again Amid Renewed Tensions

Ethiopia and Eritrea have once again severed their diplomatic relations following recent tensions. Ethiopia closed its embassy in Asmara on September 21, 2019 E.C. (2026 G.C.) and ordered 10 Eritrean diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours. In response, the Eritrean government announced a total cessation of diplomatic ties with Ethiopia. This decision marks another critical turning point in a volatile 36-year relationship between the two nations. The regional ties have historically swung between close alliance following the fall of the Derg regime, full-scale border war in 1998, and an eighteen-year period of 'no war, no peace' after disputes surrounding the Algiers Agreement and the Badme border decision. The latest closure of embassies and expulsion of diplomats escalates the distrust between the neighboring Horn of Africa nations.