Eritrea Cuts All Diplomatic Ties With Ethiopia Following Expulsion Order

Eritrea has announced the complete severance of its diplomatic relations with Ethiopia in response to measures taken by Addis Ababa. On October 1, 2026, the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated it would close its embassy in Asmara due to alleged Eritrean hostility and ordered 10 Eritrean diplomats to leave Addis Ababa within 48 hours, declaring them persona non grata. In response, Asmara rejected Ethiopia's actions and accused Addis Ababa of arming Eritrean opposition groups to incite internal conflict and attempt regime change. Eritrea also alleged that Ethiopia has been stirring conflict for the past three years using the sea access issue as a pretext. The expulsion order affects Eritrean diplomats led by Biniam Berhe, who also represented the country to the African Union. Relations between the two Horn of Africa nations, which normalized in July 2018 after two decades of hostility, have rapidly deteriorated following the end of the Tigray conflict.