NAIROBI: The African Union Commission has called on Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Egypt to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from actions or statements that could worsen tensions and undermine regional peace and stability. “The Commission urges the three countries to address their differences through established diplomatic channels and peaceful dialogue,” it said in a statement late on Thursday.

On Thursday, Ethiopia ordered the closure of its embassy in Eritrea and declared 10 Eritrean diplomats persona non grata, prompting Asmara to sever all diplomatic ties with its neighbor. It also declared an Egyptian diplomat persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country within 48 hours.

Egypt responded by declaring an Ethiopian embassy counsellor in Egypt persona non grata and giving him 48 hours to leave. This move comes amid a years-long rift over Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a project on the Blue Nile viewed as a threat by Egypt to its share of Nile water.

An Egyptian official described Ethiopia’s decision as “regrettable and unjustified,” asserting Cairo’s policy of non-interference in other countries’ affairs. The official accused Ethiopia of attributing its “successive internal crises” to foreign actors and justified Egypt’s action as “in line with the principle of reciprocity.” Ethiopia has yet to publicly explain its expulsion of the Egyptian diplomat.

Additionally, Ethiopia accused Egypt, Sudan, and Eritrea of supporting the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), linked to recent escalations in Ethiopia’s northern region. Egypt has not officially responded, and Sudan denied the allegations. 

Elsewhere, Ethiopia and Eritrea have severed diplomatic ties, accusing each other of exacerbating internal conflicts as tensions rise in Tigray. Meanwhile, Egypt has been strengthening ties with Eritrea.