Ethiopia and Eritrea Sever Diplomatic Ties as Fighting Rages in Tigray

Ethiopia and Eritrea have cut off diplomatic relations entirely, a sharp escalation in a rapidly deteriorating relationship that is unfolding alongside renewed heavy combat in northern Ethiopia. The rupture has raised fears that the Horn of Africa could be pulled into a far wider regional conflict, barely three years after a devastating war between the two neighbours' shared enemy came to a formal close.

The break came in two stages. On Thursday, Ethiopia's government announced it was shutting its embassy in Asmara, Eritrea's capital, and gave ten Eritrean diplomats 48 hours to leave the country. Addis Ababa accused the envoys of engaging in activities that posed a direct threat to Ethiopia's national security, saying they represented a danger that could not be tolerated.

Eritrea responded hours later by announcing that it was severing all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia. Its foreign ministry described Ethiopia's move as astounding and said Asmara had no option but to reciprocate in kind, warning that the decision would carry negative consequences. The tit-for-tat expulsions and closures mark the lowest point in relations between the two countries in years.

The diplomatic collapse came just hours after powerful explosions were heard overnight in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital. Residents in two separate parts of the city told the BBC they heard blasts during the night, including near the country's military headquarters and close to the headquarters of the intelligence service. One resident living near the intelligence compound said the explosion was loud enough to set off car alarms.

A source linked to an opposition alliance told Reuters that its forces had carried out drone attacks in the capital. Ethiopian authorities have not confirmed what caused the explosions, and no official reports of casualties or significant damage have emerged. The blasts occurred shortly after Ethiopia's National Intelligence and Security Service imposed an indefinite ban on drone flights over Addis Ababa and surrounding areas, citing the need to protect senior officials, critical infrastructure and public events.

The tensions have been building for weeks. Addis Ababa has accused Eritrea of supporting an alliance of armed groups fighting the Ethiopian government, an allegation Asmara has repeatedly and firmly denied. Last month, the Tigray People's Liberation Front, or TPLF, joined six other armed movements — including the Fano militia from the Amhara region — to form a coalition whose stated goal is to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government from power.

Ethiopia has pointed to that alliance as evidence of Eritrean interference. A pro-government militia commander fighting in Tigray told the BBC that Eritrean soldiers had been involved on the front lines, an allegation the BBC has not independently verified. In a rare interview with the BBC before diplomatic relations were severed, Eritrea's Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel rejected the accusations outright, saying Ethiopia's governing Prosperity Party was blaming neighbouring countries to distract attention from conflicts and other internal problems.

The two countries were allies during the 2020-2022 Tigray war, when Eritrean troops fought alongside Ethiopian federal forces against the TPLF. An African Union mediator previously estimated that about 600,000 people died during that two-year conflict, making it one of the deadliest in recent African history. Relations have deteriorated sharply since the peace agreement, particularly over Ethiopia's push for direct access to the Red Sea — a drive Asmara views as an increasingly hostile policy.

Landlocked Ethiopia lost its coastline when Eritrea became independent in 1993. Abiy has repeatedly argued that access to the sea is essential to Ethiopia's long-term economic and security interests, while Eritrea accuses his government of harbouring ambitions over its ports. That dispute has poisoned the relationship even as the two countries formally ended their state of war.

Meanwhile, fighting continues across northern Ethiopia. Federal forces and their allies appear to have made gains in southern Tigray and are advancing towards Mekelle, the regional capital. In Alamata, a doctor told the BBC earlier this week that at least 52 civilians had been killed during three days of intense fighting. More than 50 people have been killed since heavy fighting resumed last week.

The TPLF has also been fighting in neighbouring Afar, which lies along Ethiopia's crucial transport corridor to Djibouti and the sea. Tens of thousands of people are estimated to have fled their homes in that region. The latest hostilities are the most serious since the 2022 peace agreement ended the Tigray war, and both sides accuse the other of starting them. Tigrayan authorities say their forces were responding to a federal offensive and drone strikes, while Addis Ababa says Tigrayan fighters launched attacks after taking control of federally administered airports in Tigray.

Independent verification of events on the ground remains difficult, with access restricted and communications unreliable. The combination of urban drone strikes, mass displacement, a rebellious armed coalition and now a complete diplomatic break with Eritrea has left observers warning that the region could be sliding back toward the kind of full-scale war that killed hundreds of thousands only a few years ago.