Ethiopia, Eritrea Cut Diplomatic Ties As Tigray Fighting Escalates

Ethiopia and Eritrea have severed diplomatic relations as renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia raises fears of a return to the Tigray war.

Ethiopia accused Eritrea of supporting the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which has launched attacks in Afar and Amhara regions. Addis Ababa said it would expel 10 Eritrean diplomats and close its embassy in Asmara, prompting Eritrea to reciprocate.

Hundreds have reportedly been killed or wounded since fighting resumed last week, while thousands have been displaced. Doctors Without Borders said more than 700 wounded people had been treated in hospitals across Tigray.

An explosion at Ethiopia’s military headquarters in Addis Ababa has heightened concerns over the conflict’s spread, although its cause and casualties remain unclear.

The escalation has revived tensions between the two countries, which fought a border war from 1998 to 2000 before relations improved in 2018.