Ethiopia Closes Embassy in Asmara, Designates 10 Eritrean Diplomats persona non grata
Ethiopia has ordered the closure of its embassy in Asmara and declared 10 Eritrean diplomats in Addis Ababa persona non grata, giving them 48 hours to leave the country, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The Ministry said the measures were taken in response to what it described as “direct and indirect acts of hostility […]
Black News
Ethiopia has ordered the closure of its embassy in Asmara and declared 10 Eritrean diplomats in Addis Ababa persona non grata, giving them 48 hours to leave the country, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The Ministry said the measures were taken in response to what it described as “direct and indirect acts of hostility and belligerence” by Eritrea toward Ethiopia. It accused the 10 diplomats of involvement in activities that pose a direct threat to Ethiopia’s national security and said their conduct breached the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
The Ministry did not provide details of the activities attributed to the diplomats or specify the steps involved in closing the embassy.
The decision comes as relations between the two neighboring countries have deteriorated amid renewed conflict in northern Ethiopia. Recent fighting involving federal forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front has raised tensions across the region, with Ethiopia accusing Eritrea of supporting forces opposed to the federal government.
Despite the diplomatic measures, the Foreign Ministry said Ethiopia continued to value its historical, cultural and people-to-people ties with Eritrea. It called on the Eritrean government to halt actions it said were contrary to the principles governing relations between sovereign states.
Ethiopia also reaffirmed its stated commitment to resolving disputes peacefully and to working with countries in the Horn of Africa to promote regional stability and integration.
