Ethiopia Severs Ties With Eritrea Amid Capital Drone Strikes
Ethiopia severed diplomatic relations with Eritrea and expelled diplomats after a rebel alliance launched drone strikes on the capital and resumed fighting in northern Ethiopia.
The Government of Ethiopia severed diplomatic relations with Eritrea on Thursday, closing its embassy in Asmara and expelling 10 Eritrean diplomats. This diplomatic break followed three explosions in Addis Ababa on Wednesday night, which the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival—a coalition of seven armed groups including the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF)—claimed were drone strikes targeting military headquarters and defense facilities. In response to the security threat, the Ethiopian National Intelligence Service banned all drone flights over the capital indefinitely.
Ethiopia accused Eritrea, Sudan, and Egypt of supporting the rebel alliance and financing insurgents in the Tigray region. Ahmed Hussein, the deputy governor of Afar, stated that the attacks sought to undermine regional administration and install figures loyal to Eritrea. The Government of Eritrea denied these claims and reciprocated by closing its embassy in Addis Ababa and severing all ties. Simultaneously, Ethiopia and Egypt engaged in a reciprocal expulsion of diplomats.
On the ground, fighting has intensified in northern Ethiopia, shattering a 2022 peace agreement. The TPLF-led alliance has seized several towns and the main airport in Tigray, disrupting essential services in Mekelle. Ethiopian federal forces have launched a counteroffensive, advancing within 40 kilometers of Mekelle and capturing the strategic town of Alamata. The conflict has displaced thousands of civilians across the Tigray, Amhara, and Afar regions, raising fears of a wider interstate war.
