ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) has called on Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to exercise "maximum restraint," urging the three countries to de-escalate the situation amid mounting regional diplomatic tensions.
In a press statement issued late Thursday, the 55-member continental organization said it is closely following with concern the heightened tensions among Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt.
The AU called on "all three member states to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from actions or statements that could further escalate tensions and undermine regional peace and stability."
It underscored the importance of preserving channels of communication and urged the three countries to address their differences through established diplomatic channels and peaceful dialogue, in accordance with the principles of the Constitutive Act of the AU.
The AU said it stands ready, in consultation with the countries concerned, to support efforts towards de-escalation, dialogue, and the peaceful resolution of differences.
The continental organization's statement follows a rapid deterioration of relations among the three nations.
Earlier on Thursday, the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the closure of its embassy in Asmara, the Eritrean capital, "in response to Eritrea's direct and indirect acts of hostility and belligerence against Ethiopia."
The ministry also gave 10 Eritrean diplomats 48 hours to leave Addis Ababa, citing their "involvement in activities that pose a direct threat to Ethiopia's national security in breach of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations."
In a direct response, the Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Thursday the complete severance of ties with Ethiopia, marking a total breakdown in relations between the two Horn of Africa neighbors.
Rejecting Addis Ababa's allegations, the Eritrean government accused Ethiopia of "pursuing an agenda of incessant hostility." It further accused Ethiopia of hosting, training, and providing arms "to an assortment of Eritrean armed opposition groups" to stoke internal conflict for regime change in Eritrea.
Also on Thursday, the Ethiopian government declared a diplomatic staff member at the Egyptian Embassy in Addis Ababa persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country within 48 hours.
In a reciprocal move, Cairo declared a counsellor at the Ethiopian Embassy in Egypt persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country within 48 hours, according to reports.
Experts attribute the latest diplomatic tensions among the three African countries to the ongoing military escalation in the northern part of Ethiopia, particularly the country's northernmost Tigray region.
The East African country witnessed a deadly two-year conflict between Ethiopian federal forces and Tigray People's Liberation Front-loyal troops from November 2020 to November 2022. The conflict left millions in urgent need of humanitarian assistance before the two parties signed the landmark Pretoria peace accord in South Africa to end hostilities.
Amid the current heightened concerns about a possible relapse into conflict, Ethiopian analysts have accused Eritrea and Egypt of alleged support for rebel groups in the East African country, which Asmara and Cairo have denied. ■
