ADDIS ABABA — Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday, October 1, 2026, that it is closing its embassy in Asmara, Eritrea, and expelling ten Eritrean diplomats based in Addis Ababa.
The Ministry declared the ten diplomats persona non grata, citing their involvement in activities that "pose a direct threat to Ethiopia's national security in breach of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations". The affected officials have been given 48 hours to leave the country.
According to the official press statement, the decision to shut down the mission in Asmara comes in response to what Ethiopia described as Eritrea's "direct and indirect acts of hostility and belligerence against Ethiopia".
Ethiopian authorities urged Asmara to end actions that violate the principles of sovereign state relations. Despite the sharp escalation, the Ministry emphasized that Ethiopia continues to value the historical, cultural, and people-to-people connections between the two nations, reaffirming its commitment to peaceful coexistence and regional stability in the Horn of Africa.
