The African Union Commission has called on Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to exercise maximum restraint and avoid actions or statements that could further intensify tensions and threaten peace and stability in the Horn of Africa.
In a statement issued on Thursday, October 1, the AU Commission said it was closely monitoring the heightened tensions among the three countries and stressed the importance of preserving channels of communication.
“The Commission urges the three countries to address their differences through established diplomatic channels and peaceful dialogue,” the continental body said, emphasizing that disputes should be handled in accordance with the principles of the African Union’s Constitutive Act.
The appeal comes amid a rapid deterioration in relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea and renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia.
On Thursday, Ethiopia announced the closure of its embassy in Asmara and ordered 10 Eritrean diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours, accusing Eritrea of engaging in what Addis Ababa described as direct and indirect acts of hostility. Eritrea subsequently announced that it was severing diplomatic relations with Ethiopia and would close its embassy in Addis Ababa.
Tensions have also spilled into Ethiopia’s relations with Egypt. Addis Ababa declared an Egyptian diplomat persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country, while Cairo responded by expelling an Ethiopian diplomatic official.
The diplomatic confrontation is unfolding alongside renewed armed conflict in northern Ethiopia. Ethiopian authorities have accused Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of supporting an opposition alliance led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, or TPLF. The countries named by Ethiopia have denied the allegations.
The latest fighting represents the most serious escalation in Ethiopia since the 2020–2022 Tigray war. Reports of explosions in Addis Ababa on Thursday further heightened concerns that the renewed conflict could expand beyond the northern battlefields. Reuters reported that a source linked to the opposition alliance claimed responsibility for drone strikes in the capital, although the claim could not be independently verified.
The crisis also intersects with longstanding tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea over security, territorial interests and Ethiopia’s pursuit of reliable access to the Red Sea. Relations between the two neighbours deteriorated after the 2020–2022 conflict, despite the rapprochement that began in 2018.
Against this backdrop, the African Union said it remains prepared to support efforts aimed at de-escalation, dialogue and the peaceful resolution of differences.
The AU’s intervention places renewed emphasis on diplomacy at a moment when reciprocal diplomatic expulsions, renewed fighting and competing regional security interests are increasing the risk of further instability across the Horn of Africa.
