Ethiopia has ordered Egyptian and Eritrean diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours and closed its embassy in Asmara, triggering reciprocal expulsions and a complete break in ties with Eritrea amid long-standing disputes over the Nile dam and alleged support for rebels.
Ethiopia’s foreign ministry said on October 1 that it was closing its embassy in Eritrea and expelling 10 Eritrean diplomats over what it called “direct and indirect acts of hostility and belligerence” that threatened national security, according to Al Jazeera.
Eritrea responded by severing all diplomatic relations with Addis Ababa, calling Ethiopia’s decision “astounding” and saying it had “no option but to reciprocate in kind”.
On the same day, Ethiopia declared Egyptian diplomatic staff member Ahmed Moharam Ahmed Soliman persona non grata and gave him 48 hours to leave, state media reported. Egypt retaliated by expelling a counsellor at Ethiopia’s embassy in Cairo under the principle of reciprocity, describing Addis Ababa’s move as “unfortunate and unjustified”.
The escalations follow Ethiopian accusations that Egypt and Eritrea are backing a new rebel coalition, the Alliance for Survival, which unveiled itself on September 20 and has vowed to overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.
Ethiopian state broadcaster EBC aired a report calling Egypt “the hand behind the chaos”, alleging a “covert playbook to sabotage Ethiopia from the inside out” through funding insurgents and “digital warfare” to spread disinformation. Eritrea has denied Ethiopia’s allegations of hostile meddling, while Ethiopian regional officials have accused Eritrean forces of fighting alongside rebels in Afar.
In a parallel track, Ethiopia says it will seek compensation from Egypt for development losses it attributes to Cairo’s obstruction of more than 22 water projects in the Nile Basin, including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Ethiopian Water and Energy Minister Habtamu Itefa told state media that a national committee had been formed to identify the projects, compile evidence and calculate losses, with the aim of claiming “the total amount of loss that they have imposed on Ethiopia because of our development”.
The GERD, Africa’s largest hydropower plant, was officially inaugurated on 9 September 2025 after Ethiopia unilaterally completed filling phases, deepening tensions with downstream Egypt and Sudan over water shares and dam operation. Cairo has repeatedly warned against new dams and insisted on a legally binding agreement, while Addis Ababa frames its projects as sovereign development under principles of equitable use.
The African Union Commission urged Ethiopia, Egypt and Eritrea to refrain from actions and statements that could worsen tensions and said it was ready to support de‑escalation and dialogue through established diplomatic channels. The AU’s appeal came as explosions were reported overnight in Addis Ababa, raising fears that fighting in northern Ethiopia could widen into a broader Horn of Africa confrontation.
