New diplomatic skirmishes between Eritrea and Ethiopia after 'expulsion' crisis

New diplomatic tensions emerged from Asmara after it sent a letter to the African Union Commission, requesting the restoration of its representation at the Union’s headquarters in Addis Ababa following Ethiopia’s expulsion of its envoy, amid an escalation that began in early October with the severing of ties between the two countries. In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, an Ethiopian parliamentarian defended his country’s right to take that step, citing Eritrea’s interference in Ethiopia’s internal affairs, while an Africa affairs expert suggested that Addis Ababa deliberately took that step, which contravenes African Union regulations, solely to preserve its narrative and marginalize Asmara’s perspective.

The Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs published, via its website, a letter it said it had sent to the African Union Commission demanding “the restoration of Eritrea’s representation at its headquarters in Addis Ababa,” affirming that it had been deprived of its membership rights, including representation and participation in the Union. It clarified that on October 1 of last year, the Ethiopian government declared 10 Eritrean diplomats residing at the Eritrean Embassy in Addis Ababa and its permanent mission to the African Union as persons non grata.

It added: “By expelling the permanent representative and the entire diplomatic staff assigned to participate in the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the Ethiopian government has effectively deprived the State of Eritrea of its fundamental rights as a member state to be represented in the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and to participate in their activities.” It emphasized that “the African Union is an intergovernmental organization founded on the principle of sovereign equality among all member states under the Constitutive Act of the African Union.” Accordingly, “Eritrea’s legal membership rights in the African Union cannot be curtailed or undermined according to the whims of another member state.”

This Ethiopian government action was preceded by the closure of its embassy in Asmara in August 2026, a closure that had not been publicly announced until then, according to the letter. According to Ethiopian parliamentarian Mohamed Nour Ahmed, “Eritrea’s representation is a natural and ordinary demand; however, interference in neighboring countries and crossing Ethiopian borders by distances ranging between 50 and 60 kilometers are unacceptable under international customs, African Union regulations, and international law.”