Eritrea cuts ties with Ethiopia over Asmara embassy closure

AI Summary

Ethiopia ordered its embassy in Eritrea closed and expelled ten Eritrean diplomats, prompting Eritrea to sever diplomatic ties. The escalation follows overnight explosions in Addis Ababa and accusations of foreign support for an opposition alliance fighting Ethiopian federal forces, raising fears of renewed regional conflict.

Oct 1 (Reuters) - Ethiopia ordered the closure of its embassy in Eritrea and declared 10 Eritrean diplomats persona nongrata on Thursday, prompting Asmara to sever all diplomatic ties with its neighbour after overnight blasts heard in Addis Ababa sparked fears aboutrenewed conflict in northern Ethiopia spreading. Addis Ababa has accused Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of supporting an opposition alliance led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) that has battled troops loyal to Ethiopia's federal government since last week. The three countries deny the accusation.