Ethiopia: Embassy shut in Eritrea, 10 diplomats expelled
Ten Eritrean diplomats have also been delared persona non grata as relations between the neighbors nose-dive. Ethiopia's foreign ministry said it was in response to Eritrea's "direct and indirect acts of hostility."
Ethiopia has announced the closure of its embassy in Eritrea and the expulsion of ten Eritrean diplomats, accusing them of posing a threat to national security. The decision comes in response to Eritrea's hostile actions against Ethiopia. The embassy had been reopened in 2018 as part of improving relations, which led to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry stated that the action was taken due to Eritrea's direct and indirect acts of hostility. The ten Eritrean diplomats were given 48 hours to leave the country. The measures were implemented following reports of an explosion overnight at the Ethiopian National Defense Force headquarters in Addis Ababa, though the nature of the blast and the responsible party remain unclear.
The Associated Press reported three blasts after the government banned drone use in the capital, though the connection to any attack or training exercises is uncertain. Eritrea has denied allegations of supporting an armed alliance fighting Ethiopian forces, claiming the group, known as the Alliance for Survival, consists of the Tigray People's Liberation Front, Amhara Fano National Movement, and Oromo Liberation Army.
The coalition has been involved in ongoing clashes, resulting in hundreds of casualties since recent fighting resumed. The United Nations has called for the cessation of hostilities and for negotiations between the Ethiopian government and the alliance.
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