The African Union has urged Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to exercise restraint and use diplomatic channels to ease rising tensions in the Horn of Africa.
The AU Commission said it was concerned about the deteriorating relations and warned that further escalation could threaten regional peace and stability.
The appeal came after Ethiopia expelled an Egyptian diplomat, ordered 10 Eritrean diplomats to leave and announced the closure of its embassy in Asmara. Eritrea responded by severing diplomatic ties with Ethiopia.
The tensions come amid renewed clashes between Ethiopian federal forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front in northern Ethiopia, as well as wider disputes over Red Sea access, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and shifting security alliances in the region.
