Eritrea Reciprocates Ethiopia’s Diplomatic Measures, Severs Ties With Addis Ababa

October 1, 2026

Eritrea has announced that it will sever diplomatic relations with Ethiopia, hours after Addis Ababa closed its embassy in Asmara and expelled ten Eritrean diplomats.

In a statement, Eritrea’s Foreign Ministry rejected Ethiopia’s accusations of “direct and indirect acts of hostility and belligerence,” saying Addis Ababa was instead responsible for escalating tensions. Eritrea accused Ethiopia of pursuing what it described as a three-year campaign aimed at obtaining “sovereign access to the sea” and alleged that Ethiopia had hosted, trained and armed Eritrean opposition groups seeking regime change.

Asmara said it had exercised “patience and restraint” but now had “no option but to reciprocate in kind” and sever diplomatic ties with Ethiopia.

The exchange marks a major deterioration in relations as renewed fighting in Tigray fuels concern about a broader regional confrontation. Ethiopia has increasingly accused Eritrea of involvement in the conflict, while observers said that Addis Ababa has been waiting for a justification for military escalation.

The latest rupture therefore sharpens a central question: whether the competing accusations will remain at the diplomatic level or become the basis for direct military confrontation between the two countries.