African Union urges Ethiopia, Eritrea, Egypt to exercise restraint as regional escalation continues

The African Union Commission has urged Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Egypt to show maximum restraint and refrain from actions or remarks that could escalate tensions and harm regional peace and stability, said a statement late on Thursday. The Commission called for the three nations to resolve their disputes through established diplomatic channels and peaceful dialogue in the same statement.

Ethiopia had recently closed its embassy in Eritrea and labeled ten Eritrean diplomats as persona non grata, while Eritrea retaliated by severing all diplomatic ties and denouncing an Egyptian diplomat as persona non grata. Egypt, in turn, responded by declaring an Ethiopian embassy counselor in Cairo persona non grata and imposing a 48-hour ban on his departure.

Addis Ababa has accused Eritrea, Sudan, and Egypt of backing an opposition alliance led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) that has been battling Ethiopian government troops since last week. However, the three countries deny these allegations. The recent clashes represent the most significant increase in violence in Ethiopia since the end of a 2020-2022 civil war, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.

Eritrea had previously participated in support of Ethiopia's federal government during that conflict.