Eritrea’s foreign ministry said on Thursday that it was severing all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia.
Addis Ababa has accused countries including Eritrea of supporting an opposition alliance led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) that has fought with troops loyal to Ethiopia’s federal government since last week. Eritrea denies the accusation.
The Ethiopian government on Thursday announced its decision to close its embassy in Asmara, the Eritrean capital, amid escalating diplomatic tensions.
The Ethiopian government also declared 10 Eritrean diplomats in Addis Ababa, the country’s capital, persona non grata “for involvement in activities that pose a direct threat to Ethiopia’s national security in breach of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.”
The ministry said that the 10 Eritrean diplomats in Addis Ababa are required to leave the east African country within 48 hours.
